Star Harry Newman says Leeds Rhinos ready to go 'all guns blazing' in huge test v 'champion team' Hull KR

England centre Harry Newman says Leeds Rhinos are ready for their toughest challenge of the season so far.

Sunday’s hosts Hull KR began Betfred Super League round 17 with a four-point gap at the top of the table and are on an 11-match winning run in all competitions, but Leeds led in the final quarter of their 20-14 home loss in April and Newman reckons they have got what it takes to end that hot streak. “They won the Challenge Cup, they are a champion team, they are top of the table and they are flying,” Newman noted.

“But we probably should have won the home game against them and we will be going there all guns blazing. We will give it our best shot and if we fix some defensive things up, I think we will go close.”

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Newman insisted: “We know we can match anyone and the scary thing is we’ve not reached our height yet. There’s been signs of it, both with the ball and without, but when we do play for 80 minutes I think we’ll be a very dangerous team.”

Harry Newman scores the first of his two tries in Leeds Rhinos' win against Leigh Leopards. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.placeholder image
Harry Newman scores the first of his two tries in Leeds Rhinos' win against Leigh Leopards. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.
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Leeds got their attacking game together against Leigh Leopards last week, running in a season’s-best 48 points, but Newman admitted conceding 30 was a concern. “I thought our attack was outstanding,” he said. “Leigh are a great attacking team and they broke us down a fair bit, so the second half was a bit disappointing, especially our response when we scored.

“But a win is a win and we’ll fix that for a huge game this week. If we are going to be a champion team we have to be a lot better than that. That is what we are focussing on. It didn’t really feel like a winning changing room and that’s probably a good thing.

“It shows where we are as a team and the team we want to be. We were happy to get the win, but we were a bit disappointed with the tries we conceded in the second half - they were soft and that’s not like us.”

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Leeds Rhinos' Harry Newman scores his second try in last week's win against Leigh Leopards. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.placeholder image
Leeds Rhinos' Harry Newman scores his second try in last week's win against Leigh Leopards. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.

Newman was one of two Rhinos players to bag a brace of tries against Leigh, along with veteran forward Kallum Watkins. Newman made his debut in 2017, two years before Watkins - then also a centre - ended his first spell at Leeds and he recalled: “He was a great leader when I first came through, I always did my extras with him and looked up to Kal.

“When he left I took that position and now he has come back and has been absolutely outstanding, the same as Hally [Ryan Hall]. They are older players, 34 and 37, but the experience they bring to the training ground and off the field, as well as on the field, has been fantastic.”

Newman was this week one of six Rhinos players named in England’s train–on squad ahead of the Ashes Test series which begins against Australia in October. Of his personal form, he said: “I was pleased with my performance [last week] but I am never comfortable with where I am at. I don’t think I am back to where I want to be yet, but when I do that I’ll just keep kicking on.”

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