Why it's changing times at Leeds Rhinos after rollercoaster season

Rhinos will bid farewell to stalwarts in their playing and backroom staff when they face New Zealand at Headingley in a World Cup warm-up match on Saturday, October 8.

That will end a remarkable campaign which began with Rhinos battling to avoid relegation and ended in the Betfred Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford.

Three of the team on duty in the title decider, winger Tom Briscoe, centre Liam Sutcliffe and substitute forward Bodene Thompson, are leaving the club.

Sutcliffe is Rhinos’ longest-serving player. The Leeds- born academy product made his debut in 2013 and featured in their 2017 Grand Final victory over Castleford Tigers and the Wembley success against Salford Red Devils three years later.

Briscoe joined Rhinos from Hull ahead of the 2014 campaign and was a Challenge Cup winner - and Wembley try scorer - later that year, against Castleford

He ran in a record five tries in Leeds’ 2015 Challenge Cup defeat of Hull KR and crossed again when Leeds beat Salford two years ago.

Briscoe also featured in the 2015 Old Trafford win over Wigan Warriors which completed the treble and touched down twice against Tigers two years later.

New Zealander Thompson was a mid-season signing, initially on loan, from Toronto Wolfpack in 2020.

Also bowing out are hooker Brad Dwyer and prop Muizz Mustapha. Dwyer, signed from Warrington ahead of the 2018 season, was not selected for any of Rhinos’ play-off matches and will join Sutcliffe at Hull next term.

Rhinos academy product Mustapha is expected to sign for Castleford Tigers, along with Jack Broadbent who saw out the second half of this season on loan with Featherstone Rovers.

Leeds have so far confirmed only three new signings, Justin Sangare from Toulouse Olympique, Wigan Warriors’ James McDonnell and Toby Warren, of York City Knights.

Sangare is a French international prop while second-row/centre James McDonnell has played for England Knights and spent much of this season on loan at Betfred Championship leaders Leigh Centurions.

Forward Warren has already played for Rhinos’ academy and reserves on loan from York.

At 24, 22 and 19 respectively, they are players for the future, as is Doncaster back-rower Leon Ruan.

The 19-year-old played for Wakefield Trinity’s academy before joining Doncaster and was shortlisted for this season’s League One young player of the year award.

He has been training with Rhinos as a trialist after impressing coach Rohan Smith and is likely to be confirmed as a Leeds player after Doncaster’s final game.

Rhinos have yet to confirm a new contract for Zak Hardaker who rejoined his first top-flight club after being released by Wigan midway through the season, but are expected to announce the signing of winger Derrell Olpherts from Castleford.

Behind the scenes, Sean Long is set to leave the club and Smith’s other assistant Jamie Jones-Buchanan is taking a new role outside the rugby department.

Long-serving team manager and former conditioner Jason Davidson is also moving on and analyst James Bletsoe has announced he is stepping back from day-to-day involvement with the first team to focus on his lecturing career.