Leeds Rhinos youngster Morgan Gannon discusses new half-back role and missing Grand Final

The 19-year-old made an immediate impact in the second row after bursting onto the scene last year, with his performances for Leeds earning him an England Knights debut. Gannon kicked on in 2022, scoring six tries in 25 games to secure a place on the Super League Young Player of the Year shortlist.

Keen to tap into the youngster's full potential, Rhinos boss Smith is giving Gannon playmaking responsibilities in training.

The switch, which may yet be a temporary one, has opened Gannon's eyes as he continues to make his way in the game.

"He wants me to get my hands on the ball a lot more in pre-season to get more involvement rather than be on an edge," Gannon told The Yorkshire Post. "He also put it across to me that he could see me playing a few games there depending on how it goes.

"I played there until I was 12 or 13 and then I moved into the middle to play loose forward and in the second row.

"It's somewhere I've played but not to a high level. It's been testing and has made me think a lot more about where I need to be and different plays.

"It's been a good challenge and one I've enjoyed."

Gannon is likely to start the 2023 Super League season in the second row but there is a chance Smith could conduct a live experiment in a match situation against Wakefield Trinity on Boxing Day.

"I'm not too sure at the minute," added Gannon.

"I might get 10 or 20 minutes at the end, which would be great for me."

The festive friendly will be Gannon's first outing since suffering a nasty concussion in the play-off clash with Catalans Dragons in September.

The talented forward was forced to sit out the Grand Final as well as the semi-final after Smith opted to play the long game.

"It was hard to get over but there was a bigger picture with my health," said Gannon, who returned to full fitness six weeks after the collision with Sam Kasiano. "That was the priority.

"The first five days I was struggling with it so looking back it was the right thing.

"I've been fine with my head since I started pre-season so I've moved on from it now.

"Hopefully I've got plenty more of those games to play in my career."