Leeds Rhinos review - 5 memorable moments from 2020

After a couple of seasons in decline, Leeds Rhinos turned the tide during 2020, winning silverware and breaking back into the Betfred Super League play-offs for the first time since 2017.

Here are five of Rhinos’ most memorable moments from a unique year.

5: Liam Tindall's near-miss. The teenage winger signed a three-year full-time contract in August after impressing at training.

The 19-year-old made his debut at home to Catalans Dragons at the end of the following month and almost scored an astonishing try, running across the field near half-way, breaking into space and beating seven defenders before being pulled down a metre short of the line.

4: Richie Myler reinvents himself. Against Warrington Wolves on February 28, in-form Jack Walker suffered a foot injury which derailed his season.

Myler - selected as back-up hooker - came off the bench as an emergency full-back, for the first time in his career and made the position his own, going on to secure a new two-year contract and win the Lance Todd Trophy.

3: Comeback kings. In their first game after lockdown, on August 2, Rhinos trailed Huddersfield Giants 26-6 with 13 minutes left.

From nowhere, they scored four tries to level the scores and Luke Gale kicked a golden point drop goal to win it 27-26.

2: Happy meal. Nobody expected Rhinos to lift a trophy this year, but they won the Coral Challenge Cup the hard way at an empty Wembley on October 17. Leeds squandered an interval lead and then hit back to level the scores late on before Luke Gale’s drop goal sealed a thrilling 17-16 success over Salford Red Devils.

The squad travelled back to Leeds in full kit and celebrated with a service station McDonald’s midway up the M1.

1: Rob Burrow fund-raiser. It may have been a pre-season game against Bradford Bulls, but January 12 at Emerald Headingley was an occasion nobody in the sell-out crowd will ever forget, Rhinos’ greatest generation - including Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock, Danny McGuire, Keith Senior, Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Ryan Bailey, Brett Delaney and Kylie Leuluai - taking to the field to pay tribute to Rob Burrow.

In the early stages of his battle with motor neurone disease, the man himself brought the house down with a late cameo and when he struggled to get through a post-match interview on the pitch, Bulls fans began a chant of 'only one Rob Burrow' which spread around the whole stadium. A spine-tingling moment, equally heartbreaking and uplifting.

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