'We lost our way a bit': Leeds Rhinos' Aidan Sezer discusses the defeat at St Helens and his return from injury
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Sezer played all of Rhinos’ 42-12 defeat at St Helens last week, after being sidelined since the end of March.
The off-season signing from Huddersfield Giants missed nine successive games because of a groin problem, but reported no ill-effects following his comeback four days ago.
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Hide AdHis return brought Rhinos closer to full-strength, with only full-back Jack Walker and winger/centre Tom Briscoe remaining on the long-term casualty list, though loose-forward Cameron Smith missed the game at Saints with a back problem and winger Ash Handley hobbled off in the second half.
Coach Rohan Smith now has choices to make in most positions, other than possibly at prop, but Sezer’s inclusion couldn’t inspire Leeds to a first victory over Saints in 11 matches.
Despite competing well in the first half and being only eight points down just before the hour mark, they fell away spectacularly late on and their discipline also disintegrated as Zane Tetevano was sent-off and Boden Thompson and James Bentley were sin-binned, all in separate incidents.
That added up to a bitterly disappointing evening, in a season which has not been short of those and Sezer admitted that took all the gloss off his long-awaited return.
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Hide Ad“I feel good, I was just disappointed with our performance,” the Aussie admitted.
“I thought we were in the game at half-time and then we just lost our way a bit in the second half.”
Rhinos went 12-0 behind early on, but halved the gap and had a touchdown disallowed before a hugely controversial score gave Saints a 10-point advantage.
“I thought it was a pretty good contest,” Sezer said of the first 40 minutes.
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Hide Ad“We couldn’t carry it on in the second half; we can be better than that, we’ve got to learn from it and we’ve got to do that [this week].”
Three of Saints eight tries came when Leeds were at least a man down.
Thompson was yellow carded for a trip, Tetevano dismissed for taking out former Leeds centre Konrad Hurrell following a kick and Bentley sin-binned after knocking the ball away to prevent a play-the-ball.
Sezer said: “We were trying to solve things ourselves and a few of the boys got frustrated.
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Hide Ad“We need to be better as a team and be a bit more galvanised.”
But Rhinos did play some good rugby at times before the interval and Sezer felt there were positive signs.
“The ball movement, I thought, troubled them,” he reflected.
“It’s just about doing it for longer periods.
“We just lost our way in the second half; once they scored an early try we dropped our bundle a bit and they compiled a few points on us.
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Hide Ad“Our game is built on resilience and we have to be stronger.”
Last week was only the seventh time Sezer has played alongside half-back partner Blake Austin for Rhinos.
After such a long layoff, some ring rust was inevitable and he insisted: “I can always be better, but I’m thankful to get through the game pretty unscathed and it’s only onwards and upwards from here.
“It was good to get 80 minutes in; I haven’t had much footy so it was good to get through the game and that was a positive.”
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Hide AdOf the way he played, he added: “I am not happy with my performance, but it was my first game back, against pretty tough opposition.
“I need to be better and we need to be better as a team.”
Rhinos will learn today if the three cards picked up last week will lead to further action.
The RFL’s match review panel will decide on charges with any players referred to a disciplinary tribunal facing a hearing tomorrow.
It was Bentley’s third yellow card of the season and he has also been sent-off once.
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Hide AdTetevano, who was sent-off in a Challenge Cup defeat at Saints last season, has been banned twice this year, one of those following a yellow card and it was also Thompson’s second sin-binning of 2022.
Hull will be without captain Luke Gale when Leeds visit MKM Stadium on Saturday. The former Rhinos skipper failed a head injury assessment during Hull’s 4-0 loss at Warrington Wolves three days ago, when teammate Adam Swift suffered a suspected fractured leg.
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