Leeds Rhinos youngster Jack Sinfield makes 'keep getting better' vow, reveals hopes for new boss Brad Arthur

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Leeds Rhinos teenager Jack Sinfield is balancing the need to learn his trade with a desire for regular rugby.

With reserves matches taking place every other week and Sinfield yet to go out on loan or dual-registration, it has been a stop-start campaign so far for the 19-year-old scrum-half and he conceded: “It has been hard at times.

“I have been here, there and everywhere with playing reserves, playing first team and not playing at all sometimes. But I have been working closely with Grixy [assistant-coach Scott Grix], trying to get a little bit better every week and finding little things I can fine-tune to improve my game so when I get the chance I am a bit better. That has been the main focus, making sure I get better.”

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Sinfield made a first Super League appearance in exactly two months, since Rhinos’ defeat at Catalans Dragons on May 11, when he was selected ahead of Matt Frawley for last week’s 30-18 loss at Warrington Wolves. Sinfield and Frawley are both in Rhinos’ initial squad for tomorrow’s (Saturday) visit of Hull KR and the 19-year-old is naturally keen for a fourth Betfred Super League game this season.

Jack Sinfield scores for Leeds Rhinos in their win over London Broncos at AMT Headingley two months ago. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.Jack Sinfield scores for Leeds Rhinos in their win over London Broncos at AMT Headingley two months ago. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.
Jack Sinfield scores for Leeds Rhinos in their win over London Broncos at AMT Headingley two months ago. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.

“It was good to get back in the side and I really enjoyed it, despite the result,” he said of his recall. “Every opportunity I get is going to be beneficial in the long-run for me. I am still focussing on getting better, but at the same time I want to be in the team and I want to be playing. My main focus is to keep getting better and hopefully that will leave me in a good place to get in the team.”

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Frawley has made way for Sinfield twice this term, last week and against London Broncos in May. The youngster’s other appearance, at Catalans, came when Brodie Croft was injured. “They’ve both been brilliant with me,” he said of Leeds’ first-choice halves. “They are both very experienced on both sides of the world; they are very different players so I can learn a lot of different things from each of them. They’ve been great at helping me get better.”

Sinfield is also hoping to learn from new coach Brad Arthur, who spent 10 years in charge of NRL club Parramatta Eels. The scrum-half noted: “Brad’s very experienced and I think he’ll be very good for us as a group and also me individually.

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Jack Sinfield - right - and fellow Leeds Rhinos teenager Ned McCormack tackle Warrington Wolves'  Matty Nicholson during last week's game. Picture by Olly Hassell/SWpix.com.Jack Sinfield - right - and fellow Leeds Rhinos teenager Ned McCormack tackle Warrington Wolves'  Matty Nicholson during last week's game. Picture by Olly Hassell/SWpix.com.
Jack Sinfield - right - and fellow Leeds Rhinos teenager Ned McCormack tackle Warrington Wolves' Matty Nicholson during last week's game. Picture by Olly Hassell/SWpix.com.

“I am still focussing on learning and getting better and I think Brad will be great for that. Hopefully I can learn a lot from him and we can learn a lot from him as a group.”

Sinfield is confident Rhinos can begin Arthur’s reign with a win, if they start well and eliminate the errors which have plagued them all year. “I thought in patches we showed some positive signs, but the start killed us,” he said of the loss at Warrington.

“From then on we were chasing the game. I thought we did well to get ourselves back in it, but we weren’t good enough at the start and shot ourselves in the foot with too many errors. As a team we’ve shown what we can do when we are playing well, but it’s just patches of ill-discipline and errors that have killed us. If we can start stringing together 80-minute performances I think we’ll be in a really good place.”

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