Video: Discipline is key for Leeds Rhinos says Konrad Hurrell

Big Tongan centre Konrad Hurrell reckons Leeds Rhinos have written a template for an improved season.
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Rhinos will travel to Salford Red Devils on Saturday looking to build on last week’s sparkling 52-10 thrashing of Hull KR.

That followed a 30-4 loss to Hull in Betfred Super League round one and the difference between the two performances was startling.

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Hurrell put Rhinos’ improvement down to sticking to their game plan, alongside being starving the opposition of possession by being patient and disciplined.

Konrad Hurrell scores against Hull KR. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.Konrad Hurrell scores against Hull KR. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.
Konrad Hurrell scores against Hull KR. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.

It is a formula the former Gold Coast Titans man believes Leeds need to follow on Saturday to complete back-to-back wins.

“Salford are a good attacking team and we can’t afford to give them a lot, so we have to work on ourselves,” Hurrell said.

“We have to work on not giving away too many penalties and not giving away too many errors, because they don’t do that.

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“They work as a team and every individual brings their best game so we can’t give them a little sniff.

Konrad Hurrell and teammates celebrate during last week's win. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.Konrad Hurrell and teammates celebrate during last week's win. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.
Konrad Hurrell and teammates celebrate during last week's win. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.

“We know they can attack so we have to bring our attack to match them and we have to be good in our D [defence] as well.”

Rovers managed only two tries last Friday, the first following successive penalties and second off a Rhinos error.

Hurrell recalled: “That’s how Hull KR play as well, off other teams’ penalties and errors.

“They feed off that and they love to throw the ball around.

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“That’s what happened; as soon as we made an error they scored off it and when we made back-to-back penalties they marched the whole way and scored.

“That was the only two tries they scored.

“I guess Salford will do the same, if we give them the ball.

“They are a team that complete, they make hardly any errors and we have to match them in that.”

Last week’s nine-try performance proved if Rhinos do get their share of possession they can rattle up the points.

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The win over Rovers was the first time they had put a half century of points on Super League opposition since the summer of 2017, but Hurrell believes Leeds can be much better and will have to step up this weekend.

“As a group it was good,” he reflected.

“After a big loss against Hull FC it was good we had the energy to bounce back like that.

“There is a lot of positivity from the weekend, but still a lot of little things we have to work on and we are doing that this week.

“It is good we know we can bounce back against tough opposition.

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“It is hard to play against Hull KR because you don’t know what they are going to throw at you, but I guess it was our day.

“We stuck to our game plan and when we didn’t for a bit in the second half, that gave them a chance to score a try.

“There’s little things like that we need to work on this week: sticking to our game plan, not getting bored with it and sticking with it for the whole game.”

Hurrell - whose first tries for Leeds came when he crossed twice in a big win at Salford a year ago - was among the scorers last week, when his powerful running wreaked havoc in Rovers’ defence.

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It was an impressive response after he missed half of Leeds’ opening game against Hull due to concussion.

Hurrell was cleared to play the following week at Huddersfield Giants, but that game being called off gave him an extra week’s recovery.

“I had to have the head test and pass it, but I am sweet now,” he confirmed.

“It was the first time that has happened to me so it was strange, I didn’t really know what to expect.

“I thought I was all right, then it started getting worse and worse.”