All you need to know about Riley Lumb after Leeds Rhinos prospect's sensational Super League debut

Lumb stormed on to the scene with a sensational opening try, before reacting quickly to get a hand on a kick by Brodie Croft. His performance earned him Sky TV’s man of the match award and praise from coach Rohan Smith, but who is Riley Lumb?

The 19-year-old’s Rhinos debut came a week after his first game as a professional player, at centre on dual-registration for Halifax Panthers. He was rated the West Yorkshire club’s man of the match in a 46-0 home defeat by Sheffield Eagles in the Betfred Championship.

Lumb’s father Gary played for community clubs including Redhill and Sharlston Rovers and was also a member of the BARLA (British Amateur Rugby League) Great Britain squad. Riley played as a junior with Townville Tigers and Lock Lane, in his home town of Castleford and joined Rhinos’ academy from the club’s scholarship three years ago, alongside Alfie Edgell - who was in the side at Hull - and current first team squad member Max Simpson. He was promoted into the full-time squad for the 2023 campaign, having been part of Rhinos’ title-winning academy squad the previous season.

Earlier, he won twice in four BARLA finals with Lock Lane and also played at Wembley for Castleford Academy when they beat St Peter’s, from Wigan, in the 2017 Champion Schools competition. He made his debut for Rhinos’ reserves in 2022 and was a regular in both that and the academy side last season, scoring eight tries in nine appearances for each team.

Lumb wasn’t awarded a squad number at the start of 2024, but trained as part of the full-time group and wore the 33 jersey against Hull. Coach Rohan Smith recalled: “When I first arrived I went to watch the first academy game at Stanningley and he picked up a loose ball or cleaned up a kick - he was playing full-back that day and I said to [youth boss] John Bastian ‘I like the look of that kid, but I think he might be a winger’.

“He probably is at this point in time. He has some attributes to play full-back, but he is a great play-two carrier, a good kick diffuser and a good finisher. They are good attributes for a winger, he might turn into a centre - he is a footy player. I don’t think kids have to be pigeon holed too early, he’s very young and he’s only just getting started. He needs to keep his feet on the ground and get back to work.”

Smith added: “Riley has got some confidence, but it’s a humble confidence. He is tough as nails, he is not daunted by any situation. It is game one - it’ll be game one of many for that kid - but on to game two and get ready for that.”

Though Lumb’s tries captured the headlines, Smith hailed a “good all-round winger’s performance”. He continued: “He got the chance to get in the clear and a had a few finishing opportunities which he took, but the nuts and bolts and the fundamentals - carrying the ball out of yardage, defusing kicks and making his tackles - is where every game has to start and he did that particularly well.”