Wakefield Trinity v Leeds Rhinos: Aidan Sezer reveals how visitors can break Super League duck

Rhinos have lost their three Betfred Super League fixtures so far and Sezer believes failure to turn territory into points is what has been letting them down.

Reflecting on the first month of the campaign, Sezer admitted: “It has been a bit of a rollercoaster, but hopefully we can turn it around.”

The former Huddersfield Giants man has yet to win a competitive game in Leeds’ colours, but insisted: “We have played three strong teams.

“Against Wigan we lacked a few things in effort areas and in terms of losing against Warrington, I think things probably went against us that we couldn’t control and we put ourselves in a position to win the game.

“Last week [against Catalans Dragons] we probably needed to execute a bit better, but it is always going to be tough at this time of year, with a lot of new players and a lot of unfortunate injuries.

“That’s what happens when you’ve got blokes playing out of position and young kids coming in.

“Things like that are going to happen, but that’s behind us now.

“It is not panic stations, we just need to find our groove and get back to playing the footy we know we can.”

Sezer and stand-off Blake Austin played together in the NRL for Canberra Raiders, but today will be only their third game as Rhinos’ half-back pairing,

The number seven reckons they will get better with more rugby under their belt.

“That’s the plan,” he said.

“We know as ball players coming into a team, playing alongside blokes we never have done, they need to get used to us and we need to get used to them.

“There’s always going to be that transition period, but we’ve learned a lot about ourselves over the last three weeks and hopefully we can perform well [tonight].”

Of how things have gone for him personally this year, Sezer said: “I haven’t put too much thought into it.

“It’s about the team and the team’s result.

“I know there’s been little articles saying I have been slumping my shoulders and that, but that’s after a loss.

“I hang my hat on my performances and if I don’t think I’m up to scratch I am going to be disappointed, I am not going to be bouncing around like people say I should be.

“I am loving it [at Leeds] and hopefully we can get a win and get off the mark.”

Though Trinity have also lost their opening three games, Sezer reckons tonight’s hosts are performing well.

“They have been playing a good brand of footy and chancing their arm a bit, really enterprising play,” he noted.

“We know we have got to go there and work really hard and complete our sets and defend really well to win the game.

“It is a big game at this time of the year - we need to get off the mark and we are going there to do so.”

But Sezer doesn’t see this evening as make or break.

He stressed: “It is a long season, but there’s importance on every game you play.

“We strive to win every game we play and it is no different this week.”

Centre Harry Newman (hamstring strain) could make his first appearance of the season tonight and winger David Fusitu’a (concussion) and second-row Rhyse Martin (compassionate leave) are available after missing the last two games.

Sezer reckons their return will make a difference.

“They are all quality players and add different strengths to our team,” he said.

“It’s good to have them back.”

Jack Broadbent and Corey Johnson are also vying for a place in the matchday 17, but Alex Mellor (concussion) drops out from the team which lost to Catalans last Thursday.

Wakefield Trinity: from Jowitt, Johnstone, Miller, Lino, Battye, Arona, Ashurst, Tanginoa, Pitts, Crowther, Whitbread, Batchelor, Kay, Croft, B Walker, Aydin, Adebiyi, Bowes, Murphy, Shaw, Fifita.

Leeds Rhinos: from J Walker, Fusitu’a, Newman, Sutcliffe, Handley, Austin, Sezer, Oledzki, Leeming, Prior, Martin, Tetevano, Dwyer, Smith, Thompson, Briscoe, Gannon, Broadbent, O’Connor, Johnson, Tindall.

Referee: Chris Kendall (Huddersfield).

Kick-off: Today, 8pm

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