Leeds Rhinos ace Jake Connor talks being 'in the groove', England call up and 'big game' v Hull KR
Man of Steel Jake Connor says Leeds Rhinos teammates deserve the credit for his recent impressive form.
The scrum-half is Betfred Super League’s leading goals and points scorer ahead of Friday’s huge home meeting with Hull KR and has been in sparkling form during Leeds’ current four-match winning run, including last Thursday’s 34-6 success at Warrington Wolves.
“I am going all right,” the reigning Rhinos player of the year reflected. “The big thing for me is consistency and I feel like I’ve picked up from where I left off. I probably had a quiet start to the year, but I am finding my feet again now.
“I feel like I am really in the groove at the moment, but it is down to everyone around me. If the middles keep doing what they are doing, we are going to be a tough side to beat.”
Connor reckons it’s not just players in the initial 13 who are coming up with the goods. He added: “Our starting middles [last week] really went after them and I think Cooper [Jenkins] came on at the right time.
“When he came on he upped the ante with his carries and his defence. I thought he actually changed the momentum for us with how he was physically. That’s what you are looking for from your bench, some impact.”
Despite being the competition’s best player in 2025, Connor was left out of the England squad for the Ashes Test series against Australia. New coach Brian McDermott has included him in an initial 38-strong performance group ahead of this autumn’s World Cup and Connor stressed: “It is nice to be recognised and in there with the top players, but I’ve said before, I want to focus on playing well and my form. That’s the important thing and the rest will take care of itself.”
Though the win at Warrington lifted Rhinos two points clear at the top of the table, Connor pledged they will continue to take a week-by-week approach. “We just want to be there at the end of the year and we know we’ve just got to keep putting in performances like that [last week’s],” he emphasised. “We can’t get too high, can’t get too low, we’ve just got to stay on a steady ship and keep playing like that.”
Hull KR are third in the table, four points behind Leeds and it will be the fifth time in seven games Rhinos have faced opponents in a play-off position. “That’s what we want,” Connor vowed. “We want to play in the big games in front of big crowds. They are coming thick and fast and this is another big one, so hopefully we are on it again. It is tough to keep backing up, but that’s what we’ve got to do.”
The number seven reckons Rhinos will need to play at least as well as they did last week when they bid for a fourth successive victory over the Robins. He stated: “It was a big win, Warrington are a classy team and we knew we had to be on it.
“We spoke all week about being resilient and that’s what we showed. Some moments didn’t go our way, but we managed to claw it back in our favour and come up with some good stuff.”
Rhinos’ defence was put under pressure at times, particularly early in the game and just before half-time. But after conceding four tries in a 15-minute spell either side of the break during their previous game, in France, Leeds refused to crack.
Warrington’s only try came in the closing stages, when the result was already decided and Connor said: “People talk about the Toulouse game, but I am glad it happened because it gave us a kick up the backside.
“The right-edge took a bit of stick, but I thought they were brilliant [in last week’s game]. They were on the same page and they came up with some big plays. It’s not easy, when you leak 24 points the other team is going to preview you and come after you, but I thought they were spot on and came up with some big moments defensively.”