Leeds Rhinos fans thrilled with recent form but baffled by Jake Connor Man of Steel snub

The mood is largely positive as Rhinos sit top of Betfred Super League 10 rounds in, are on a five-match winning run and have a clean bill of health. But our panel are puzzled by one Leeds star’s omission from the initial Man of Steel shortlist and uncertainty over a star player’s future is causing concern.

KATIE MARCZYNSKI

It was a shame not to be involved in the Challenge Cup semi-finals, but credit to Wigan and Hull KR who both deserve to be in the final. The initial five-man shortlist for this year’s Man of Steel was announced last week and it’s nice to see us getting credit.

While I was right about Lachie Miller being included, there was no Jake Connor. Jake has been instrumental in our strong start to the season. If he doesn't play or has a bad game we have a bad game, so it’s surprising he didn’t even make the top 10.

You could argue he’s playing for the wider team rather than standing out on his own, but I can’t fathom it. I also felt Warrington’s Josh Thewlis and Saints’ Jackson Hastings were unlucky to miss out, based on what we’ve seen so far. That said, it’s a long old season and I’m sure the names will change when the panel meets again after rounds 18 and 27.

Back to round 11 and a trip away to Wigan this Friday. We know we can go there and beat them, so I’ll be keeping everything crossed for a Rhinos win.

DAVID MUHL

It’s six years since we won any silverware and that’s simply not good enough for a club the size of Leeds. We have no right to be winning things every year, but we should do better than we have in recent seasons.

The squad Brad Arthur and Ian Blease have put together is a really good one and we have genuine strength in depth so there is no reason this year can’t be our opportunity to get back to winning something. It’s early days, but top of the table has a nice ring to it.

We have the players to be a winning team. Jake Connor is playing the best rugby of his career, Brodie Croft is back to his best and we have a phenomenon in Maika Sivo who seems to be able to score for fun. Ash Handley is stepping into big shoes following some of the great players who’ve captained Leeds - the likes of Kevin Sinfield, David Ward, Garry Schofield, Danny McGuire and Iestyn Harris - but he is really stepping up and proving BA was right to give him the role.

I must put a caveat on all this positivity - we have been really lucky with injuries. It’s very rare for a club to go through a season without suffering an injury crisis and I‘m just hoping ours isn’t too bad if/when it comes.

We have a fair few players moving on at the end of the season, but I’m sure Ian has plans in place to replace these. My biggest worry on the player front is that Brodie hasn’t, as far as we know, settled his future yet.

He has made no secret of the fact he wants to play again in the NRL at some time in the future, so I am worried. We had some really good news during the week with two of our players, Ash and Brodie becoming dads again. It’s Wigan next so come on the Rhinos.

IAIN SHARP

Happy 100th birthday to tv naturalist and whispering voiceover artist Sir David Attenborough, but do you know his connection to rugby league? In the mid-1960s he was appointed controller of newly formed BBC 2. While the technology was still a few years away, it was intended for the new channel to broadcast entirely in colour from the start.

The problem was, that most TVs received their pictures in the original 405 lines format, while BBC 2 was intended to broadcast in the new 625 line format, which needed newer sets to receive the pictures and while the transmitters across northern England had all been upgraded to the new standard, the take up of new sets among the population was poor.

What could be done to make northern folk buy new tellies? Show rugby league, of course. The sport was already popular on Saturday afternoons on Grandstand. Thus in the 1965-66 season, a new competition was born, the BBC 2 Floodlit Trophy, a mid-week competition where viewers tuned in to see edited highlights of the first half and the whole of the second period shown live, called by Eddie Waring.

Such was the popularity, it also pushed many clubs, including Leeds, to install floodlights for the first time. Leeds won it once in the 1970-71 season and even Bramley won it in 1972-73 (although their final was played in daylight, due political strife in that era), but Castleford were the most successful club with four wins. The competition ran until the 1979-80 season and a Hull derby final when FC beat KR 13-3. So, next time you attend a night game, spare a thought for how the game developed playing under lights.

BECKY OXLEY

The entire team is playing cohesively, which is impressive. In my view, we have the strongest team since the Golden Generation of 2015 and it’s thrilling. Our strength is evident, even when players are not getting enough game time and are loaned out to other teams to gain experience.

I find it difficult to pick one player as the standout of the season so far. It’s a tough choice, but among those who have impressed me are Lachie Miller, Maika Sivo, Ash Handley, Brodie Croft and Jake Connor.

The speed of play and the kicking game are exceptional. The skill sets displayed by the entire team are of the highest quality and it’s challenging to identify areas for improvement, but Brad Arthur ensures we never become complacent.

This week, we face Wigan on their home turf. It’s always a tough challenge, but given our current form, we can compete with anyone and I’m eager to see the impact of our week off.

ALEX SHARP

Rhinos are flying high at the top of Super League, but some of the team have gone under the radar so far. Maika Sivo, Ash Handley, Brodie Croft and Lachie Miller have dominated the headlines, but there’s three others I think deserve more credit.

Firstly, Cooper Jenkins. I believe he has now settled into Super League and is showing how explosive he can be. With five tries in 10 appearances, he put his name in lights against Hull KR in Vegas and has been very direct and strong with his carries.

I was stunned Jake Connor wasn’t on the 10-player Man of Steel long-list. After missing the first game of the season, at Leigh, he has been fantastic, controlling us around the pitch and kicking the most goals in the league.

Connor has changed his game, allowing others to grab the spotlight, like Croft and Miller and his attacking kicks and choice of pass has been outstanding. I’ve always thought he was an individual, but over the last 18 months he has become more of a team player.

Lastly, Cameron Smith. Maybe this one will come back to bite us when he joins Wakefield next season, but in games like at Bradford, when he came off the bench and changed the contest, he has been great. I feel like he has been used correctly and against a tired pack is very dangerous with his running game and passing range. He brings calmness to the squad when he enters the pitch.

Loads of players are flying at the minute and hopefully on Friday against Wigan we see all seven players mentioned have an impact in a Rhinos win.