Leeds Rhinos' Harry Newman reckons partnership with new winger David Fusitu'a can light up Super League

Leeds Rhinos' ace centre Harry Newman is relishing building a partnership  with new addition David Fusitu’a.
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The Tonga Test winger is a former NRL top try scorer and has been signed to boost firepower in the three-quarters.

Playing outside new halves Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer, Newman is excited about the duo’s prospects for 2022 and looking forward to seeing what Fusitu’a can do.

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“You can see from training they have played together before and they are both world-class half-backs,” he said of Rhinos’ six and seven.

Harry Newman has been in pre-season training since November. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.Harry Newman has been in pre-season training since November. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.
Harry Newman has been in pre-season training since November. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.

“I am looking forward to having Fusitu’a play outside me, he is a big body and can obviously finish a try so having a winger you know can do that is exciting, especially one of his quality.”

Newman admits to not watching much rugby league, but added: “When I knew we’d signed him and Rich [Agar, Rhinos’ coach] told me he was going to play outside me, I had a look at a few videos and he is clearly a very, very good player.

“He has played for Tonga in the World Cup when they got to the semi-finals and the NRL on a regular basis so he knows how to finish a try and that’s what matters as a winger.

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“He has not been here that long, but building a relationship and combinations is an exciting prospect.”

New signing David Fusitu'a will play outside Harry Newman for Rhinos this year. Picture by Phil Daly/Leeds Rhinos via SWpix.com.New signing David Fusitu'a will play outside Harry Newman for Rhinos this year. Picture by Phil Daly/Leeds Rhinos via SWpix.com.
New signing David Fusitu'a will play outside Harry Newman for Rhinos this year. Picture by Phil Daly/Leeds Rhinos via SWpix.com.

Newman, 21, has been training since day one of pre-season last November and bagged a brace of tries in Rhinos’ opening warm-up game, against Wakefield Trinity on Boxing Day.

That is in contrast to 12 months ago, when he missed all of pre-season after suffering a badly broken leg the previous September.

He returned to the team last July and was ever-present over the final four months of the campaign, touching down four times including Rhinos’ try of the season at home to Warrington Wolves in August.

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“I missed last year so it has been nice to be involved, I have been doing everything everyone else is doing and I feel like it’s paying off.”

Newman reckons the way he played over the second half of 2021 set the platform for a good season this time.

He said: “It was always about coming back from the injury and just getting back playing again, building the confidence up and I felt towards the back end I wasn’t quite where I wanted to be, but not far off.

“Just getting extra training sessions in and a proper pre-season is only going to benefit me this year.”

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Newman confirmed Rhinos’ new head of performance Richard Hunwicks has brought a different approach to pre-season.

“He has changed what we’ve done off-field massively,” Newman said. “In terms of the whole environment, it feels like we are working in a world-class envrionment again. I am really impressed with him.

“I had heard good things but, obviously, you never know when someone new comes in who you’ve not worked with before.

“I feel like I’ve developed a relationship now where I trust his work and what he is going to do for me.”

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With a World Cup at the end of it, postponed from last autumn, this is set to be a big year for Newman at both club and international level.

England coach Shuan Wane has made it clear he is a big fan of the Leeds centre and Newman, who last month signed a contract keeping him at Rhinos until the end of 2024, stressed the World Cup is “something I have aspired to be involved in ever since it was announced”.

He said: “It getting cancelled last year probably gave me a bit of extra time and another season to get me to where I want to be to compete in it.

“I think, if I get to the form I know I can get to, I will give myself every chance.”

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