Leeds Rhinos' Richie Myler willing to play anywhere for the team - but he'll leave prop to Zane Tetevano

Myler, a specialist half-back, began last season as back-up hooker and then reinvented himself at full-back following an injury to Jack Walker.

He was only one vote off third in Rhinos’ player of the year standings, based on performances over the whole year and was man of the match in Leeds’ Challenge Cup final win over Salford Red Devils.

Walker and first-choice scrum-half Luke Gale are both recovering from surgery, but expected to be fit for the start of the year and Myler revealed his role for this season has yet to be decided.

“It’ll be prop, I think,” Myler joked. “I thought I’d be playing prop, but we’ve signed Zane Tetevano so I think I am all right now.

“When Ava [Seumanufagai] left, I said ‘well, you know I can…’.”

On a more serious note, Myler said: “I can probably play six, seven, or one - or they could put me at nine again.

“I played numerous positions last year and I enjoyed playing those roles.

“I will be ready to play wherever I am needed to play.

“I enjoyed last year, playing in the full-back role, but I will happily play anywhere - I just want to play in the team.

“It’ll be nice to get [Walker and Gale] back and we will see what happens.”

A year ago, Myler’s Leeds future looked uncertain following Gale’s signing as first-choice scrum-half.

A move to Toronto Wolfpack fell through when the Canadian side withdrew from Super League and were then denied a place for 2021 and at the start of September Myler agreed a new deal keeping him at Leeds until the end of next year.

“It is always nice to have a bit of security, but by the same token I was chomping at the bit to get going last year,” Myler said.

“I had a few things to deal with and get on with, but I am excited to get back into it now and focusing on rugby and whatever that brings.

“I feel like I am in really good physical nick and ready to go. It will be a case of whatever position I get put in, I’ll see how I go.

“Hopefully Luke and Jack aren’t too far off, it will be good to get them back and interesting to see where I end up playing.”

From a team perspective, Myler reckons Rhinos are “building very nicely” for the new Super League campaign, which begins on March 25.

“To taste some success last year was great,” he reflected. “Having the Challenge Cup win, it meant a lot to the group to get that and I think we are all focusing on building on that now.

“I think the exciting thing is we’ve got a good blend of experienced guys who’ve been around the block and good young players who have also played a lot of games.

“Mix those together and hopefully we shouldn’t be too far off.”

Myler insisted: “We know where we’re at and the two teams we’ve got to chase.

“Wigan and St Helens were the best two teams last year and we know they are the benchmark.

“On our day we know we can turn it on, but having that consistency those two teams showed throughout the full season is going to be vital.

“We are pretty confident going into it and I am excited to see how we develop as a team.

“That’s the biggest thing, we showed last year we made huge steps and we’re all chomping at the bit to keep going.”

A new factor this year is former Saints and Great Britain scrum-half Sean Long’s appointment as assistant-coach.

“He has been brilliant,” Myler said.

“Obviously I admired him as a player for a very long time and growing up he was always the one you watched in my position.

“His knowledge of the game is phenomenal, the way he looks at it and the things he has brought in.

“He has only been here a few weeks, but I think the impact he is having on the group has been great.

“He has been a breath of fresh air and it’s nice to get that different insight.

“I am looking forward to working with him a bit more.”

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