'Loving it': play-maker Jake Connor reveals secret behind good start to life at Leeds Rhinos

The 30-year-old former England man was a surprise recruit for Rhinos after being released from the final year of his contract at Huddersfield Giants, but early signs are he could turn out to be one of the signings of the season. Connor has started at full-back in Rhinos’ four competitive games so far, scoring two tries and kicking 25 goals, including 14 - a club record for a debutant - in the 92-0 Betfred Challenge Cup thrashing of Wests Warriors.

Though Connor’s ability has never been in doubt, question marks have hung over his temperament at times. However, in Arthur he may have come across a coach who knows how to handle that - which can only be a good thing for Rhinos and the player himself.

“I've probably not enjoyed myself for the last two or three years and that has probably shown in my performances,” Connor admitted. “It’s such a good group here, the way we play suits my style and thankfully everything has fallen into place, but there’s still room for improvement. Brad wants game day to be fun and that's how I like to play. If I'm not enjoying my rugby, it shows in my performance, but I'm loving it here.”

Arthur is a tough taskmaster and Connor admitted: “Sometimes you don't like it, but it keeps you on your toes. He's always striving for improvement and that's something I need.”

Connor produced some moments of magic in last Sunday’s 38-24 win over Castleford Tigers, scoring a try and five goals, but also felt responsible for a late blip when the visitors scored three touchdowns in the final quarter.

“We were pretty good for 60 minutes and got a bit sloppy at the back end of the game,” he reflected. “With my experience, I probably let us down a little bit with my game-management, which is something to learn from, but apart from that, we played some good rugby. We are disappointed with how we ended the game, but ultimately we wanted the two points and got them.”

After successive eighth-placed finishes in Super League, Rhinos’ target is to get back among the contenders for honours this season and Connor is confident they can do that. He revealed: “I was optimistic when I first spoke to Brad and knew the direction the club were going in. With the players we've got, we've got to fulfil our potential. We've seen some good early signs, but there's still a lot to improve on.”

Saturday’s game at Catalans Dragons will be a stern challenge as Rhinos aim for a third straight win. “It is going to be a tough test over there, but we are looking to build week-in, week-out and if we can learn [from last Sunday] we’ll be heading in the right direction,” Connor said. “It's always tough going over there. They have got a big pack and the fact they've lost three games doesn't make it any easier, but I am definitely confident.”