Rob Lui determined to finish Leeds Rhinos career on a high

The 31-year-old will leave Rhinos at the end of the current campaign, to return home to Australia, but has played only three times so far in 2021.

A quad muscle injury suffered in pre-season kept him on the sidelines until July and he was then ruled out again after just two appearances.

He made a try-scoring return in last Friday’s home defeat by Castleford Tigers and could partner Luke Gale in the halves for the first time this year when Rhinos visit Leigh Centurions in three days’ time.

“I got through it all right,” Lui said of last week’s match.

“I think I stuffed myself by taking too many carries - I was like a little kid just wanting to get out there. I blew out.

“It wasn’t our best performance, we were our own worst enemy, but I am happy to get that game under my belt, 80 minutes; I feel fitter and better and can only get better from here.”

It has been a frustrating year for Lui, who is anxious to bow out of Rhinos and Betfred Super League on a high.

“I came back against Leigh and then did my hamstring in the captain’s run before Warrington,” the former Salford Red Devils man - who joined Leeds in 2019 - recalled.

“I played against Warrington and made it worse, but I have had a look at myself, I’ve lost a few kilos and tried to get fitter and I just want to put my best foot forward to finishing up this year.”

Lui was a Challenge Cup winner with Rhinos last season and reckons he owes it to the club to end the campaign well.

Rhinos are seventh in the table and face an uphill struggle to secure a place in the play-offs, but Lui insists it is far from mission impossible.

He said: “I love Leeds, they gave me my first trophy.

“Rob Burrow presented my jersey and that’s going to stick with me for a long time.

“I have made some friends here and I am going to miss it, but I still think we have a job to do.

“We weren’t happy with our performance against Cas, but we have got seven games left and we want to win all of them.

“It’s going to take the best out of all of us every week and that’s what we’ve got to do, put our best foot forward.”

Lui’s first-choice half-back partner Luke Gale was suspended for the two games the number six played in July and banned again last weekend.

Both players are available for Friday and that’s something Lui is looking forward to.

“We haven’t played together since the last game last year, against Catalans,” Lui said.

“It will be good to play alongside Galey.

“We have a good relationship, I complement him and he complements me.

“Hopefully we can get together and go from there.”

Bottom club Leigh were crushed 48-18 at Emerald Headingley on July 1 and have yet to win this season, but were close to beating Hull KR two days ago and Lui warned: “Every team is dangerous.”

He said: “Leigh have nothing to lose, they are going to come out firing.

“I think we’ve just got to focus on ourselves and get back to what we do best - get our combinations right, six, seven, nine and one and get our middles going.

“Having Mik [Oledzki] and Matty [Prior] out, they are a big loss so it’s an opportunity for other middles to step up."

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