'No lack of belief': Cameron Smith reveals what Leeds Rhinos must do to end Catalans Dragons' winning start

Form counted for nothing last time out when Leeds took a two-match winning run to struggling Castleford Tigers and slumped to a dismal 14-8 defeat.

Nine days later, Leeds are now the underdogs against on-song Catalans who have swept aside every opposition they have faced so far this year.

But Rhinos pulled off a shock win when the odds were similarly stacked against them at St Helens three weeks ago and loose-forward Cameron Smith reckons they have what it takes to upset the French visitors and get their campaign back on track - if they get their game together.

Though four points from a possible 10 - and beginning Betfred Super League round six in eighth place - wasn’t what Rhinos expected or hoped for when the season began, Smith insisted: “Nothing is won this early in the year, we showed that last year.”

He said: “We have had a couple [of setbacks], but that’s not going to determine how our season’s going to go.

“We are just looking for that consistency and the wins we’ve had, we have got to back them up.

“There’s no lack of belief or anything like that in the dressing room. We know what we can do and what a good team we’ve got. We all believe in each other so we are more than ready.”

Catalans have a 100 per cent record and were top of Super League at the start of this round, defying pre-season predictions they might struggle following the departure of key players including Sam Kasiano, Gil Dudson, Josh Drinkwater to Warrington Wolves.

The French side have not lost since Rhinos won a bruising encounter at Stade Gilbert Brutus in the 2022 play-offs and Smith is aware of what could happen if Leeds commit anything like the number of errors they made last week.

Rhinos led 8-6 at half-time against Tigers, but turned over the ball on a regular basis inside their own territory during the final 40 minutes.

Defensively, they held their own, but weight of pressure eventually told and Smith admitted: “We need a big improvement, in terms of respecting the ball and a bit of execution.

“We’ve been putting that right this week. We spoke about respecting the ball and keeping hold of it in that second-half, but a lot of the errors we made were self-inflicted little ones, like at the play-the-ball.

“I think it was just one of those nights, but one thing we need to learn is when we’re told to respect the ball and keep hold of the ball, that needs to happen.

“If you give any team that much ball they are bound to put points on you, so that’s something we want to put right.”

A fierce rivalry developed between Rhinos and Catalans over four meetings last year, three of them in the south of France.

Dragons have come out on top in their last three games against Rhinos at Headingley, but Leeds will be buoyed by their two victories across the Channel in 2022, including that memorable play-off success last September.

Smith, though, insisted: “I don’t really look into the form the other team’s in and I don’t look at the table either.

“We will just be focusing on us and doing all we can to make sure we are ready for Saturday. Catalans are always a big set, but they are a little bit more direct this year, I reckon.

“They lost a bit of size, but they are still a big pack and they seem to be firing, so we will have to be more than up for it.”

On a personal note, this is Smith’s first season wearing the illustrious number 13 jersey for Rhinos and he has been one of their top performers so far.

Reflecting on his own form, he said: “I am really happy, I feel like I have been pretty consistent from game to game.

“I am really enjoying my role and really enjoying my rugby. I am just building game on game and taking each one as it comes.”

Smith was a substitute in round one, but has started at loose-forward in each of the past four matches. He added: “I am growing more confident in the role every game, so long may it continue.”