Leeds Rhinos talking points: Win at Toulouse would prove corner has been turned

Rhinos are up to a dizzying seventh in Betfred Super League and on a high after beating Castleford Tigers at Magic Weekend. Here are five talking points.

1: It will take a special effort to win this weekend. Victory would lift Toulouse off the bottom of the table so they will be highly motivated. They are in form, sweltering conditions will play a huge part and Rhinos have only one front-rower. If Rhinos pass this test of character and fitness they really will have turned a corner.

2: It was a sensible move to put kick-off in Toulouse back a couple of hours, but the temperature will still be in the high 30s when the game begins at 8pm. Whether the weather will benefit Toulouse is debatable, but the heatwave there does raise questions about player safety. As summers get hotter, in the UK and Europe, it is an issue the sport will have to face.

3: Still the suspensions keep coming. Matt Prior’s third ban of the season, has left Rhinos with only one available prop, though Bodene Thompson has now completed his layoff and can step in. It’s a blow, but the second-rowers who have switched into the middle for the past couple of games deserve huge credit and the gameplan of moving the ball wide at every opportunity has worked.

4: The RFL’s disciplinary system, based on guilty until proved otherwise, is wrong. Players should not face an extra sanction for wanting to state their case or challenging a decision made, by the match review panel, without any defence being heard. Innocent players will be punished, because they don’t want to risk missing more matches. If the aim is to prevent unnecessary hearings, a fine would be fairer.

5: It was good to see Jack Walker back on the field and producing a man of the match performance for Hull, on loan from Rhinos, in their Magic Weekend win over Hull KR. With Richie Myler and Zak Hardaker currently ahead of him in the full-back pecking order, Rhinos’ management have a big decision to make for 2023.