Richie Myler loving new role with Leeds Rhinos

Signed from Catalans Dragons ahead of the 2018 campaign, Myler was Rhinos’ player of the year in his first season with the club and missed only three games last term.

But Rhinos were involved in a relegation dogfight in both those years and there was a huge weight on Myler’s shoulders as the team’s main organiser.

He lost his number seven jersey when Luke Gale was signed last autumn and appeared to be on the way out, but playing with new freedom - in an in-form side - Myler has been one of Leeds’ stand-outs in the early part of 2020.

Rhinos are now two games behind most of their rivals, due to the weather and coronavirus, but reflecting on the action which has taken place so far, Myler confirmed: “I am loving it, it has been really good.

“I am taking each week as it comes and whichever role I am in I am trying to do my best for the team - and at the moment it is going all right.”

An England half-back two years ago, Myler began this season as Leeds’ back-up hooker and unexpectedly found himself playing at full-back when Jack Walker was hurt against Warrington Wolves in Rhinos’ fourth game.

A man of the match performance ensured he kept the spot the following week against Toronto Wolfpack, making his first start of 2020.

“Maybe I have played the wrong position all my career,” Myler joked.

“I am enjoying playing, I was enjoying my role off the bench, coming on and playing nine.

“There’s a lot more running at full-back, but it’s good.”

The change of role has allowed Myler to get back to the style of rugby he played earlier in his career, for Salford and Warrington Wolves.

He stressed: “I have always been a good support player, I have done that for most of my career anyway.

“Being at full-back gives you a bit more opportunity to do it.

“You don’t have as much pressure as the two halves we’ve got at the moment have on to dictate where players go.

“You can just chime in where play is, but I think the halves we’ve got at the moment have made it less difficult.

“Because of the way they control the game I can just chime in and help them out.”

Surgery on foot and shoulder injuries could keep Walker out of action for months.

But winger Tom Briscoe’s imminent return following a knee reconstruction will allow Ash Handley, who trained as a stand-in full-back during pre-season, to shift to the last line of defence, if coach Richard Agar decides to change a winning team.

That would probably mean Myler returning to the bench - and the acting-half role - but he insisted: “We have got a very talented squad and a lot of options.

“Ash could easily play in that full-back role, but I will put my hand up wherever he [Agar] decides to play me.

“I have always said, as long as I am playing I have got a smile on my face.”

If the fixture goes ahead, Rhinos will take a four-match winning run into Friday’s visit of Betfred Super League champions St Helens. Since being crushed 30-4 by Hull in round one they have scored 176 points and conceded only 30.

They will begin round eight - more than a quarter of the way into the season - in third place, two points behind Wigan Warriors and Castleford Tigers, but with two games in hand on both.

There is a long way to go, but Myler pledged: “It is a good start to the year and we want to build on that now. We want to continue to grow.

“We weren’t faultless in the Toronto game or the Warrington game, we had a few things to work on, but it is a much more positive position to be in this year than last year.”