Leeds Rhinos talking points as pre-season ends well, kids impress and Brodie Croft looks the part

Rhinos closed with two wins from three matches involving first team players and there were positive signs in the 26-18 defeat of Hull KR in James Donaldson’s testimonial game last Sunday. Here are five talking points.

1: Certainly in terms of the matches played, this has been a more positive pre-season than 12 months ago. Results don’t really matter, but it’s better to win and Rhinos did that in the two games when they fielded a largely first team squad.

Rhinos trailed at half-time against both Wakefield – on Boxing Day – and Hull KR, but came good in the second period and scored some nice tries. The new spine showed good signs in their first run out together, against Hull KR and Leeds looked better organised and more together as a team than they were last season. They have also managed to get through with no major, long-term injuries and, with Sam Lisone back in the mix after a fractured thumb, could have their one-17 all available for the opening fixture.

2: Last year Rhinos didn’t have a full-time captain, warm up games were used to experiment with a host of players out of position and the team didn’t look up to speed when the real business began. Now Cameron Smith is established as skipper and when players have featured, it has been in their specialist role.

Rohan Smith is often described as a coach who thinks outside the box and likes to do things his own way. That’s a good thing when it works, but being willing to accept and change when it doesn’t is also a positive. Time will tell, but Leeds do appear more ready than they were for the 2023 campaign.

3: The most encouraging aspect of Rhinos’ pre-season matches has been the way numerous young players have stepped up and not looked out of place against more experienced opponents. The likes of Riley Lumb, Ned and Fergus McCormack, Jack Smith, Tom Nicholson-Watton and Ben Littlewood have all had some game time and, while still very green, not looked out of place. Nicholson-Watton has a genuine chance of at least being included in the initial 21-man squad for the Salford game, which could be his second successive Super League appearance after he made his debut in round 27 last year.

Though they aren’t all in the official first team squad, Leeds now have at least one current or former academy player in reserve for every position: full-back Alfie Edgell; wing Jack Smith; centre Ned McCormack; halves Jack Sinfield and Fergus McCormack; prop Nicholson-Watton; hooker Jarrod O’Connor/Corey Johnson; back-row Ben Littlewood.

4: Rhinos haven’t won the annual Harry Jepson OBE Memorial Trophy since 2017, but after some drubbings in the past few years a very young side gave a good account of themselves against Hunslet last Friday.

Leeds were pipped 18-16, but almost snatched victory in the final seconds. None of the 15 Rhinos players involved (they also used two from Halifax Panthers) has played in Super League and only ex-Newcastle, Coventry and Whitehaen prop Kieran Hudson, who was returning from a year on the casualty list, has made an appearance at professional level.

The one who most caught the eye was full-back Kai Taylor-Smith, who scored a try and kicked a couple of goals. He is the son of Lee Smith who played and scored in Rhinos 2007/8/9 Grand Final three-peat, all from a different position on the field (wing, full-back and centre).

5: The Hull KR game may have been James Donaldson’s testimonial, but all eyes were on former Man of Steel Brodie Croft’s first appearance for Leeds and he didn’t disappoint, providing the final kick/pass for two tries and scoring himself. The Australian stand-off, signed from Salford, is clearly a class act and Rohan Smith summed up his performance thus: “I thought he looked like Brodie Croft, but in a better coloured jersey.”

It is a while since Rhinos had a six and seven who can play effectively together, but Croft and Matt Frawley have complementary styles, the scrum-half’s organisation of the team allowing his half-back partner to do his thing. There were suggestions Croft didn’t want to come to Leeds, but it appears from last Sunday’s game and all the interviews he has done since his signing that he is happy at his new club and keen to do well. He might not have been looking to leave Salford, but that’s a different matter.