Leeds Rhinos' Sam Walters is fit again after Covid setback and determined to become one of Super League's top forwards

The 20-year-old Liverpudlian confirmed he was among several players who tested positive for Covid-19 last month, leading to Rhinos shutting down training for 11 days.

Pre-season resumed on Monday and Walters has pledged to make up for lost time ahead of what will be a crucial year at the start of his top-flight career.

“It is really good to be back,” the former England Academy second-rower said. “I had Covid myself so I knew the full extent of how bad it was.

“The stop-start has hindered us a bit, but hopefully we can get back into it now and hit the ground running.”

Of the illness, Walters reported: “I didn’t have it that bad, but my family got it - I gave it to them.

“I have no idea where I got it from, but it spreads like wildfire so they all had to isolate as well, but I only had a tickly throat and cough.

“It took about two weeks for me to recover and I had to do the return to training [protocol] then as well, just to get my health back.”

Walters was forced to rest during his illness, but reckons he can catch up before Betfred Super League begins on March 25.

“I have got weights and stuff at home, but because of how tired you get with it so quickly, they advised me not to do anything strenuous,” he said.

“After my isolation I had to build into training slowly, but I am back to normal now. I did a few sessions at home, running and I feel good.”

He is also confident the pause in pre-season will not harm Rhinos’ hopes of success this year.

“I don’t think it should do,” he insisted. “Now most of the team have had it so hopefully we can avoid any positive tests for the next few weeks and we can get back to where we were before we had that time off.”

Walters joined Rhinos from Widnes Vikings in 2019 - along with Jarrod O’Connor - and was academy player of the year that season.

He featured four times in 2020, scoring a try away to Warrington Wolves and has since climbed five places in the pecking order from squad number 27 to 22.

Having shown glimpses of what he is capable of last term, he is aiming to kick on this year.

“This is an important time now, pre-season,” he said.

“Going into next season I have got a lot of goals set for myself that I want to try and achieve.

“I am hoping to be there or thereabouts in the squad every week and I am going to try and get 10 appearances.

“I don’t want to go out on loan, I want to be playing at Leeds and around the squad and learning from Rich and Sean [coach Richard Agar and assistant Sean Long].”

Walters - who played one game on loan for Batley Bulldogs in 2019 - was among six Leeds academy products who got a first team chance last year when more experienced players were rested before and after the Challenge Cup semi-final and final.

Up against top-four sides Catalans Dragons, Warrington and St Helens, it was a baptism of fire, but Walters - who was on the winning side for the first time away to Wakefield Trinity in November - reckons Rhinos will benefit in the long-run.

“Obviously circumstances were tough,” he recalled. “There was a lot of young boys in there, but I think we relished it.

“We took our opportunities well and I think it has given Rich that bit of confidence that he can throw us in there and we’ll do a job.”

It was also valuable experience for Walters. He added: “It was a good learning curve, playing against some of the top back-rowers in the league.

“That’s what I am aiming at, in the next few years I want to put my name in that category.”

Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United, With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.