Season review - How Leeds Rhinos came through intensely challenging 2020 campaign showing clear signs of promise

It has been, by any standards, a strange year, but one Rhinos can look back on with some satisfaction and which might mark the start of a resurgence for the eight-time Grand Final winners.

Like all clubs, Rhinos faced a series of unexpected, mainly coronavirus-related challenges both on and off the field and they came through them in reasonable shape.

The first setback came in Leeds’ opening Betfred Super League fixture when they were humbled 30-4 at home by Hull and lost newly-appointed captain Ward to a head injury which was to keep him out of action for the rest of the year.

Luke Gale, the scrum-half signed in the off-season from Castleford Tigers, stepped in as skipper and that proved an inspired move by coach Richard Agar.

Rhinos didn’t let the opening day setback become a crisis and went into the long Covid-19 shutdown flying, with five successive wins and on the back of a 66-12 thrashing of Toronto Wolfpack.

They never quite recaptured that form after the break, but circumstances played a large part in that. The run to the Coral Challenge Cup final left Rhinos facing six games in 20 days at the end of the campaign and that took its toll.

However, the backlog gave Agar an opportunity to give the club’s next generation a taste of Super League action and, while losing all their three games, the second-string gave a good account of themselves.

In particular, forwards Sam Walters and Jarrod O’Connor, back Jack Broadbent and winger Liam Tindall did enough to suggest they have a future at the top level.

Rhinos looked a much more resilient outfit all round this year, losing back-to-back games only once. The first of those was a 48-0 home humiliation by St Helens, who are clearly still a level above Leeds.

The second was a 28-10 loss to Wigan Warriors, but Rhinos avenged that in spectacular fashion a few weeks later in their Cup semi-final.

Performance-wise, that 26-12 victory was Leeds’ high point, particularly their near-faultless first half in appalling conditions. Obviously, the best moment of the season came at Wembley when Leeds beat Salford Red Devils 17-16 to secure the Challenge Cup for the 14th time.

Anyone who claims to have predicted that before the campaign began should be in politics.

It was sweet vindication for Agar, whose appointment was far from widely welcomed and director of rugby Kevin Sinfield, following some unjust criticism in the previous two seasons.

Gale, of course, was the match-winner with his late drop goal, the third time his boost secured a one-point victory in 2020. And the Lance Todd Trophy went to the season’s unexpected hero Richie Myler.

He seemed to be on the way out when Gale was signed to fill his position, but proved a revelation after stepping in at full-back when Jack Walker was injured in Leeds’ fourth game.

Brad Dwyer also shone throughout the season, both when starting and as an impact player off the bench.

Veteran Aussie forward Matt Prior was another outstanding performer, along with winger Ash Handley - top try scorer in the regular season - and, after Harry Newman was injured, Liam Sutcliffe at centre.

Newman’s broken leg was a setback, but young players including Cameron Smith, Tom Holroyd and, especially, Mikolaj Oledzki and Alex Sutcliffe all went up a level this year.

Above all, Leeds were good to watch. On the front foot, they were capable of running in big scores and they showed a never-say-die spirit, most particularly in one-point wins over Huddersfield Giants, twice.

Leeds certainly aren’t the finished article.

Though the backs are in good shape, the need for another big man in the middle is obvious, but if that vacancy can be filled, other foundations are in place for another top-five challenge in 2021.