'Miles ahead': highly-rated Leeds Rhinos youngster Alfie Edgell hoping for Super League breakthrough in 2024

Nineteen-year-old Alfie Edgell has moved up to second-choice full-back for Leeds Rhinos this year. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com .

Teenage full-back Alfie Edgell was a surprise inclusion in Leeds Rhinos’ initial squad for last night’s Betfred Super League opener against Salford Red Devils after making an earlier than expected recovery from a hamstring problem.

His return to fitness is a boost for Rhinos who have only one other specialist full-back in their Super League squad, new signing Lachie Miller. Edgell, who took 18th man duties, made his first team debut in the final game of last season and since then two full-backs, Richie Myler and Luke Hooley, have moved on.

That means if Miller is injured, Edgell will be at the front of the queue to step in. Coach Rohan Smith could opt to move a more experienced player out of position, but 19-year-old Edgell is regarded by Rhinos’ management as a future Super League player and feels he has made good progress over the past 12 months since becoming an official member of the full-time group.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself at the start,” Edgell said of his hopes for this year. “I just want to see how the season goes, but you never know what can happen. Any minutes I get, I’ll be grateful for.

Full-back Lachie Miller, pictured in training, has brough some new ideas from rugby union, Leeds Rhinos' Alfie Edgell says. Picture by Jonathan Gawthorpe.

“I think I have [moved up the order] a bit, but I am still trying to learn every day off people like Lachie and Grixy [assistant-coach Scott Grix who is a former full-back] and all the coaching staff. I just try to maximise what I get out of every day and every week at training.”

Miller is a relative novice himself, having switched to league from rugby union sevens two years ago. Edgell said: “It is really good working with him. I think his union background offers something a bit different. I have learned different things off him which I probably wouldn’t have learned before.

“Grixy has been with us, doing all the work and he has always got a solution for everything I need. He is perfect for me and I can’t thank him enough. I think physically and rugby-wise I am miles ahead of where I was this time last year. Last year was a really positive year, even though some games in the reserves were fairly easy or we went a long time without a game. I still managed to find improvement within that and the training blocks really benefited me, putting weight on or gaining strength.”

After playing in the win over Wakefield Trinity on Boxing Day, Edgell’s injury kept him out of pre-season clashes with Bradford Bulls and Hull KR, but he is confident it hasn’t set him back. “It would have been nice playing the friendly games, but it’s not the end of the world,” he insisted. “I’ve been training hard and I was working on other stuff, my upper body, when I was injured, so I am just looking forward to the season now.

Leeds Rhinos' assistant-coach Scott Grix is a former full-back and has been working closely with Alfie Edgell in pre-season. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.

“Pre-season has been good overall. That [the injury] came right at the end so I got most of the content in. It has been tough, but we have pulled together and I think we’ve got better as pre-season has gone on, as a team and individually. It has gone well.”

Edgell came off the bench in the second half of last September’s 46-0 win over Castleford Tigers which closed Rhinos’ 2023 campaign. “I think when the chance for me to play again does come around I will be more relaxed this time,” he predicted. “Your debut is a big occasion and I think after that you settle into it a bit more, but I couldn’t have asked for a better debut - beating Cas by that score and having all my family there.”