Leeds Rhinos talking points: Las Vegas hangover, time for change & Super League 30th anniversary quiz
Back-to-back defeats have undone much of the good work put in by Leeds Rhinos during the first month of the season.
A response was expected after their Challenge Cup exit at Wakefield Trinity, but Leeds suffered a similar loss when they returned to Super League action against Hull FC. Super League will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Sunday, when Rhinos face in-form Warrington Wolves at AMT Headingley and - even at this early stage - it’s a game the hosts need to win if they are realistic contenders for honours this year. Here’s five talking points.
1: What happens in Vegas. Supposedly stays there, but the 58-6 hammering of Hull KR last month is having a negative bearing on Rhinos’ season. Tiredness surely isn’t an issue now, three weeks after the trip ended, but maybe the praise Rhinos received for their - admittedly outstanding performance - led to over-inflated egos.
Coach Brad Arthur clearly believes so, admitting after Sunday’s 24-16 defeat at Hull they “aren’t going as good as we think we are”. It’s only five rounds in so early days, but Leeds are already out of the Challenge Cup and need to get back on track quickly if they want to stay in Betfred Super League’s top-four.
Adding to fans’ frustration is the fact Rhinos have an almost fully fit squad at the moment and aren’t making the most of it. That could come back to haunt them when injuries strike later in the campaign, as they inevitably will.
2: Happy birthday. The past two results make Sunday’s Super League 30th anniversary clash with Warrington Wolves a big one for Rhinos. Warrington are scoring points for fun - 188 in the past three games, though one of those was against a team who aren’t Super League standard and another was versus Goole (that’s a joke, please don’t write in) - and they’ll run riot if Leeds are as error-ridden and ill-disciplined as they were in the second half at Hull.
That was a game Rhinos were expected to win, which always seems to bring out their worst form. Warrington must be favourites this weekend and that will suit the home side, but without a massive improvement it could be a long afternoon.
3: Chips off the old block. Jarrod O’Connor is likely to be on Rhinos duty in Sunday’s game, with James Harrison featuring for Warrington. Thirty years ago, their fathers played in the first round of Super League, Terry O’Connor propping for Wigan Warriors when they hammered Oldham 56-16 at Boundary Park and Karl Harrison starting in Halifax’s front-row during a 24-22 loss to London Broncos at Thrum Hall.
So, how many other father and son combinations link the first Super League season with the current one? Terry O’Connor came up with three more and a reader has suggested another since this article first appeared. Can you name them? Answers in point five.
4: Time for changes. Leeds have fit players who aren’t getting a game for them at the moment, the likes of Riley Lumb, Ned McCormack, Presley Cassell, Ethan O’Neill, Jeremiah Mata’utia, Ben Littlewood and Tom Nicholson-Watton. Arthur gave his side an opportunity to put things right after the Wakefield defeat and they didn’t do that, so there can’t be any complaints if he does shake things up this weekend.
Potentially, Jack Bird could start at centre with O’Neill in the second-row, Kallum Watkins moving to 13 and one of Littlewood, Mata’utia or Nicholson-Watton coming on to the bench. Centre Harry Newman hasn’t missed a game for more than a year so a week off wouldn’t do him any harm and the same applies to Cameron Smith.
5: Quiz answers. Substitutes for Oldham in their heavy loss to Wigan during Super League’s opening weekend included Ian Gildart and Howard Hill. Oliver Gildart is part of Hull KR’s 2026 squad, while Harvie Hill plays for Hull FC.
Steve McNamara - now an assistant-coach at Warrington - was a Bradford Bulls player in 1996 though he didn’t feature in round one against Castleford Tigers at Odsal. His son is Ben McNamara, currently of Leigh Leopards.
Jamie Field made five Super League appearances for Leeds 30 years ago. His son Oli, a Leeds academy product, has played in all five of York Knights’ top-flight games so far, as pointed out by reader Paul Wainwright.