Leeds Rhinos: Richie Myler takes pragmatic view over Easter fixture list

IT IS what it is, we’ll just get on with it.
Richie Myler.Richie Myler.
Richie Myler.

That’s the attitude of Leeds Rhinos half-back Richie Myler ahead of Betfred Super League’s annual Easter fixture pile-up.

Rhinos are at home to Huddersfield Giants tomorrow, visit Wakefield Trinity on Easter Monday and take on Hull KR at Emerald Headingley six days later.

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It is a tough schedule and two of Rhinos’ three games are against sides within four points of them on the league ladder, making it a potentially pivotal time in their campaign.

Richie Myler on his way to scoring Rhinos' sixth try against Workington.Richie Myler on his way to scoring Rhinos' sixth try against Workington.
Richie Myler on his way to scoring Rhinos' sixth try against Workington.

More than a third of the way through the season, players will be pushed to the limit, but Myler insisted the only option is to roll up sleeves and crack on.

“It’s the nature of the beast,” said the England scrum-half. “We’ve got four games in two weeks and, as players, you’ve just got to get on with it.

“I don’t think they are ever going to change it, I think they love it so we’ve just got to deal with it.

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“You can kind of know where your season’s at after Easter as well. We are putting a lot of attention into getting everything right for this next period.”

Richie Myler dives over for his second try against Workington.Richie Myler dives over for his second try against Workington.
Richie Myler dives over for his second try against Workington.

Myler scored a hat-trick last week when a makeshift Leeds team crushed League One visitors Workington Town 78-6 in the Coral Challenge Cup.

Several key players were rested and Myler admitted that might give them a helping hand over Easter.

He noted: “Possibly, but we had played an extra game at that point. Maybe it is a bit of an added bonus, but Huddersfield are coming off the back of a good win, their confidence is very high and they will be pushing to put a good performance in.”

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Rhinos are up against two in-form teams with Trinity having risen to fourth in the table. Myler added: “That’s a tough place to go and play as well.

“The games come thick and fast and it’s just about focusing as they come. I have been around long enough to know you can’t look too far into the future.

“You’ve just got to focus on each game as it comes and patch yourself up and go again.”

After a poor performance in their previous league match at Hull KR, the Cup tie was an opportunity for Rhinos to build some form and confidence.

“We were on a hiding to nothing,” Myler reflected.

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“No disrespect to Workington, but obviously we were expected to win and put a good performance in and get a good scoreline.

“I think we pretty much did a good performance.

“We had a little patch when we went away from certain things, but we won the game and it was good to give some young lads a run out.

“We had three on debut and that was exciting. It’s good for the club and for those boys individually and I’m glad we got the win for them.”

Rhinos did make a series of handling errors which will need to be patched up tomorrow. Myler conceded: “We would’ve liked to hold the ball a bit more.

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“We probably made far too many errors, but it’s hard in those games when you have got so much ball; you are on the front foot so much and there’s so much space.

“It is about doing a professional job and there was about a 20-minute period when we fell away a bit. We need to iron out those patches because, against Super League opposition, you can’t afford to do that.”