Things to prove, creativity lacking and the big question: latest Leeds Rhinos talking points

It was a poor performance Leeds now face a tough run of matches, beginning at St Helens this week and disgruntled fans will want to see evidence some tough lessons have been learned. Here’s five talking points.

1: It could have been four straight wins at the start of the season, three would have been a decent return, but two is disappointing, especially as, on paper, Rhinos didn’t have the toughest opening month. Things are about to get considerably more challenging, so improvement - or least more consistency - is needed.

The Challenge Cup gods haven’t been kind to Rhinos, handing them a third meeting in four years with Saints in the fourth round on Friday. After that, they play host to Wigan Warriors and then visit Warrington Wolves before, for reasons which presumably make sense to somebody, a second visit of the season, in round seven, to Salford Red Devils.

If they get their game together, Rhinos are capable of winning all those. However, they’ll probably go into the next three, at least, as underdogs. Super League seasons aren’t won or lost in March or April, but Rhinos already have some catching up to do and a lot to prove. They’ve had some bad luck with injuries to first-choice players and have been in every game they’ve played, but the fact is they could and should be higher up the table.

2: Under Brad Arthur, Leeds have been quite good at bouncing back. Obviously, this week will be a key test of that, but the coach won’t have to spend long figuring out what his side need to do better. The things they’d done well for the majority of the season - high completions, few penalties conceded - let Rhinos down in France.

The effort was good in difficult conditions and Leeds defended really well, but they put themselves under pressure and let Catalans off the hook by continually dropping the ball. The only difference between the sides was Catalans took a couple of chances the opposition handed them and Rhinos didn’t. Had Jake Connor grabbed his early opportunity and/or Jarrod O’Connor’s touchdown just before the break been awarded, Leeds would probably have won.

Most alarming was their lack of creativity in the second half when they never looked like scoring. Their evening was summed up when, at 7-0, Leeds created some space in their open territory, but Ash Handley spilled Jack Sinfield’s pass when, more often than not, he’d have raced clear to touch down.

See more: Disciplinary news as charge issued from Catalans Dragons v Leeds Rhinos: St Helens, Hull FC among others hit

3: So far this season, Rhinos haven’t been able to get through a game without an injury. Against Catalans, scrum-half Matt Frawley became the third Leeds player of the campaign to fail a head injury assessment, automatically ruling him out of Friday’s Cup tie.

That may provide the solution to this season’s most perplexing issue, what Arthur will do when both his full-backs are fit. Lachie Miller has yet to play this season, but could be available to face Saints following a calf muscle injury. Connor is ever-present so far as Rhinos’ last line of defence and has been highly influential, but the number seven’s absence gives Arthur an option to include both players in his starting side.

Alternatively, Sinfield, who replaced Frawley during the game at Catalans and was starting scrum-half the previous week , is at the stage of his career when he needs regular game time and is Leeds’ back-up half, so a case can be made for both players. A third option would be to start Connor in the three-quarters, with Handley moving to a wing, but Arthur is keen for his captain to play at centre, so that is probably a long shot.

4: Veteran winger Ryan Hall didn’t travel to France, but Rhinos are hopeful he’ll recover from a rib injury in time for Friday’s tie. His omission was an opportunity for Leeds to have a look at Aussie Ethan Clark-Wood who joined them last month.

Overall, he did okay. He had a tough final 10 minutes when - understandably, as it was the his first game at the elite level and he hadn’t played any competitive rugby since last August - he ran out of steam a bit, but he coped well with some tricky low kicks, looked for work and showed signs he has good pace. He’s on a one-year deal, but will add cover to the wing and centre spots, which is what he was brought in to do.

5: He may not be a familiar name to many fans, but Bob Pickles, who has died, aged 80, was a hugely influential figure in Leeds Rhinos’ recent history. Having played for Hunslet, Keighley and New Hunslet, he joined Leeds in the 1980s and was the head scout responsible for recruiting some of the club’s all-time greats, including Kevin Sinfield, Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow.

A rugby league man to his very core, he was passionate about the game at all levels and the Leeds club. He was also hugely knowledgeable and excellent, genial company. He will be sadly missed.