Signs are looking positive for Leeds Rhinos in 2020 – Peter Smith

Rhinos begin the new decade with a home fixture against Hull on Sunday, February 2, so – at this stage – what is the state of play at Emerald Headingley?

The stability of a few years ago is a distant memory.

A total of 15 players with a 2019 squad number have left the club and nine of those departures followed the final game of last term.

During the past 12 months, eight first-team players have been signed for this year, plus three from other clubs into the academy – all of them now full-time - and another, Wellington Albert, who is expected to spend the season on loan at Featherstone Rovers.

Five of the senior recruits – Alex Mellor, whose signing was announced last summer, Luke Gale, Kruise Leeming, Matt Prior and loanee Rhys Evans – have joined Leeds in the off- or pre-season.

By any standards that is a huge turnaround and on top of that, this is Leeds’ third successive winter under a different head coach, Richard Agar having replaced Dave Furner after he took over from the caretaker duo of Kevin Sinfield and James Lowes who were placed in charge when Brian McDermott was axed midway through 2018.

It has been a turbulent time, but Rhinos do appear to be in better shape than this time last year. That has to be taken with a pinch of salt as the same seemed to be true before the 2019 season and that was very close to becoming a disaster, but Rhinos’ first-choice 17 looks reasonably strong.

The will-he-stay, will-he-go Trent Merrin saga finally ended, inevitably, in his early departure, after the Australian former Test forward had apparently committed himself to the club and begun pre-season.

Statistically, Merrin was Leeds’ top performer last year so his loss was a blow, but not a crippling one. He was on big money and his exit opened a space on the overseas quota which Prior has filled.

If Stevie Ward plays regularly, Leeds have a ready-made replacement in the pack. In fact, much of Leeds’ hopes rest on the fitness of new captain Ward and half-back Gale.

If they can play in most games, Rhinos should have – at least compared to three of the past four years – a decent season. Boxing Day isn’t much of an indicator, but both looked good in the pre-season opener against Wakefield Trinity. They each provide leadership, Ward is a line-breaker and strong defender and Gale’s distribution and kicking game is excellent.

Rhinos have options in the back-row, halves and at hooker, where Leeming is a very good addition. The starting props, Seumanufagai and Prior, will add go-forward, but another big pack man would be welcome.

The outside-backs looked a little light until yesterday when Rhinos snapped up Evans on a season-long loan from Bradford Bulls. He has plenty of pace and Super League experience and can cover full-back, centre or wing.

Presumably, Rhinos are no longer chasing Australian utility-back Jai Field and if an overseas spot becomes available, which depends on Rhyse Martin gaining a Papua New Guinea passport, they’ll try to fill it with a powerful forward.

Does Rhinos’ squad look strong enough to win the Super League title?

No, though the Coral Challenge Cup is always possible given a favourable draw.

What it does have is youth. Only Gale, Prior and Adam Cuthbertson will be aged over 30 when the season begins, though Tom Briscoe, Rob Lui, Richie Myler and Dom Crosby – who will be effectively a new signing if passed fit – will all reach that milestone this year.

Exactly half of the current full-time group were born in 1995 or later, so that is positive for the future, but Agar will be wary of having to throw too many of them in at once so staying injury-free is important.