We are getting up to speed - Leeds Rhinos star Matt Prior buoyant ahead of Huddersfield Giants battle

Rhinos trailed 26-6 to tomorrow’s opponents Huddersfield Giants in their first game under the sport’s new rules - including no scrums and tackle restarts rather than penalties for some infringements - before fighting back to win in golden-point extra-time.

They were crushed 48-0 by St Helens the following week and then went down 28-10 to Wigan Warriors, but found their feet in a 50-12 demolition of Salford Red Devils.

“The speed of the game probably caught us a little bit off guard and we were probably just a bit behind where we needed to be, but I think we’re adjusting to it well,” Prior said of performances since the season resumed.

“We’ve addressed it and, as a forward pack, we have implemented some ways to be better at training and hopefully we are on the right track to improving.”

Rhinos haven’t played since beating Salford on August 29, but will be looking to pick up from where they left off, in tomorrow’s ‘home’ game played at St Helens.

“It was a much better performance all round,” Prior recalled. “With the new rules, teams can get the momentum and it is hard to get it back.

“I think that’s what happened against St Helens; we never looked like having any momentum and we were fighting an uphill battle the whole game.

“Against Wigan we weren’t too bad but, again, we just weren’t able to build any momentum or put them under pressure.

“We did that against Salford and we were a lot better and, hopefully, that will put us in good stead to win a few more games.”

Rhinos should have played Wakefield Trinity last Thursday and Catalans Dragons three days ago, but both games were postponed because of Covid-19.

Prior said: “You just have to prepare as if you’re going to play and, hopefully, everything works out that way.

“You don’t really know at the moment, with all this Covid stuff.

“All we can control is ourselves and prepare the best we can.”

Giants have not won since March, but could give a debut to former State of Origin second-rower Chris McQueen and Prior warned: “They have got some big middles and plenty of go-forward. They rolled us that first 40-50 minutes; they were all over us so we need to come a lot better prepared, physically and mentally.

“We have to come with a good attitude, match them in the middle, control the ball and complete our sets.”

The week off has given star centre Konrad Hurrell extra time to get over his hamstring problem and he has been included in Rhinos’ initial 21-man squad for tomorrow. He replaces teen loose-forward Jarrod O’Connor in the only change to the squad named last week.

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