Why Leeds Rhinos are Super League's most frustrating team, Danny Levi options and Cup final hopes

Rhinos’ early Challenge Cup exit means they have no game this weekend, giving them an opportunity to work on the things which went wrong against Hull KR ahead of a third meeting of the season with St Helens on Friday, July 28.

Here’s the latest Rhinos talking points.

1: Rhinos are the most frustrating team in Super League, by far. There’s a very good team lurking in there, but this season every step or two forward has been followed by one back.

Three straight wins seemed to have set them up for a strong finish to the year, but yet again, they blew it by losing a game they could and should have won.

Hull KR were there for the taking, missing a host of first-choice players, suffering a couple more injuries during the match and having the distraction of a Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final looming nine days later.

Leeds beat them 12-0 at Headingley under similar circumstances last year, but this time were perhaps guilty of looking too closely at the visitors’ teamsheet.

Having hit back from 16-6 down, Rhinos levelled the scores after 53 minutes and spent much of the second half attacking Hull KR’s line, but couldn’t manage a single drop goal attempt to break the deadlock.

Losing stand-off Blake Austin to a head injury didn’t help, but there were enough experienced players on the field to get the job done. It was shocking game-management and then, having first use of the ball in extra-time, they knocked on twice, gifting Hull KR the opportunity to land the winning kick. The same failings have cost Rhinos the points in two of their last three home games and it’s not good enough.

2: Rhinos dropped a place to eighth on the Betfred Super League table, but are still in the play-off race, with sixth-placed Salford Red Devils only two points ahead.

Rhinos’ next two games are away to fourth-placed St Helens a week on Friday and home against Leigh Leopards, who are second, seven days later.

Those are matches they are more than capable of winning. Rhinos have beaten four of the current top five this year, but lost to three of the bottom four.

They have let too many opportunities slip through their grasp - the six points dropped against the bottom pair of Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers would lift them to fourth - and losing games they were expected to win looks at this stage like costing them a top-six finish.

Ironically, if they did manage to scrape in, their record against the sides above them on the ladder means they would be a team none of their rivals would fancy meeting.

3: Coach Rohan Smith doesn’t give a lot away to the media, but has twice denied recent signing rumours, when Rhinos were linked with Aussies Luke Brooks and Tyrone Roberts.

Asked last week about reports Canberra Raiders hooker Danny Levi is set to join Leeds next year, Smith refused to comment, which suggests a deal may be on the cards.

Levi played under Smith at Norths Devils, impressed for Huddersfield Giants last season and was a member of Samoa’s World Cup squad.

He’s a good player, of the quality Leeds should be chasing, even if hooker isn’t an obvious priority.

Jarrod O’Connor, 21, has done a fine job since converting from loose-forward and Leeds have 22-year-old talent Corey Johnson as back-up.

They are relatively inexperienced, however and would benefit from working alongside someone of Levi’s ability.

If Levi does sign, he will presumably be first-choice hooker, interchanging with O’Connor and Johnson could act as cover for the halves, having started at stand-off in this month’s win at Salford and switched there when Austin was hurt against Hull KR.

4: The last time Leeds’ men won a Challenge Cup tie was at Wembley in 2020, but there could be significant Rhinos interest in this year’s finals.

Leeds have held the Wheelchair Challenge Cup since 2019 and will meet Catalans Dragons, in a repeat of last year’s showpiece, on August 20.

Rhinos’ women play Wigan Warriors, who they beat 52-0 in Super League two weeks earlier, at Headingley on Sunday in a Challenge Cup semi-final, with the winners facing either York Valkyrie or St Helens at Wembley on August 12.

And on-loan Leeds full-back Luke Hooley is part of the Batley Bulldogs squad for their 1895 Cup semi-final at York, also this Sunday, when a place in the Wembley finals day treble-header will be up for grabs.