Top professional - Leeds Rhinos boss Richard Agar's praise for long-term signing Bodene Thompson

Thompson joined Rhinos in August, initially on loan, from Toronto Wolfpack.

He is now under contract until the end of 2023 and Agar said: “I can’t speak highly enough of what a professional he has been - he has been absolutely tremendous.”

The coach hailed the 32-year-old back-rower, who made 11 Betfred Super League appearances for Rhinos this year, as “one of the most professional, hard-working, intense, selfless team men you could ever come across”.

He said: “No matter what you ask him to do, he just gets it done.

“His influence is not just on the young kids, it challenges the senior players to be better in training, both on the field and in and around the high-performance and weights room and the conditioning side of things.

“He brings his ‘A’ game every day and he is such a professional guy with it, too.

“He has an ability to play on either edge, he can play as a middle and he is super-tough.”

And Agar reckons Thompson will be better next year, after a full pre-season with Leeds.

“We will be able to understand what his strengths are a bit more and he will be a lot more comfortable, rather than just being thrown in like he was,” he predicted.

“I think Bodene will be a real asset to us.

“I really can’t overstate some of the intangibles he brings - his presence, his professionalism and the amount of effort he is prepared to invest in his teammates to make them better; he is among the best I have ever seen for that.”

Thompson was recommended to Rhinos by Toronto’s ex-Leeds coach Brian McDermott.

Super League’s decision not to readmit Wolfpack next year made him available on a longer-term deal and Agar said: “It is unfortunate circumstances, but I think he has enjoyed it at our club.

“I know he loved playing for Mac, Mac spoke highly of us and he has settled in so well.

“He has been a tremendous signing for us and I think we’ll see more from him on the field next year, on the back of him spending a bit more quality time with us and having a full pre-season.”

Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United, With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.