Leeds Rhinos veteran Ryan Hall's advice to young wing star amid 'why I'm still playing' explanation
Super League’s greatest try scorer, Ryan Hall, has revealed his advice to young Leeds Rhinos teammate Riley Lumb and explained what keeps him playing at 37.
Hall rolled back the years to grab the winning touchdown, less than two minutes from time, as Rhinos pipped Hull FC 18-16 at AMT Headingley. It was his eighth try in 11 appearances since rejoining Leeds from Hull KR in pre-season and his 342nd in the British game.
The six-time Grand Final winner, who made his debut in 2007, is now level with Mick Sullivan in 19th place of the northern hemisphere’s all-time list of try scorers and only five behind Paul Newlove in 18th spot. Lumb is at the other end of his career, having first broken into the first team 13 months ago and so far crossed 11 times in 17 appearances. Nine of those tries have come during an ever-present spell in the team this year and Lumb is emerging as one of Betfred Super League’s most exciting young talents.
Hall forced his way over at the corner in trademark fashion to complete Rhinos’ fightback from 16-4 down in the round 11 clash with Hull and has now revealed what was going through his mind when he received full-back Lachie Miller’s bullet pass. “I just wanted to do the thing I have always felt natural doing,” the former England man said.
“Scoring tries in the corner, when you want the space, you don’t go for the space. That’s something I need to chat to Riley Lumb about because he seems to go for the corner - when he has space in front of him he goes for the corner and can quite easily get ushered out.
“When you want the space, you don’t go for it - you go more inside, so when they do hit you, you fall into the space you want. That’s what I did. It’s my job. I can’t write an essay which some people might find easy, but I can score tries in the corner.”
The win left Rhinos fourth in the table, three points clear of seventh-placed Hull. Fans’ favourite Hall’s touchdown sparked wild celebrations on and off the pitch and he admitted: “That’s why I am still running about.
“I love what I do and it’s moments like that which reinforce that. As soon as I lose my passion for rugby, that might be the time I give it up, but I haven’t lost that yet. It keeps me smiling and I am loving it at the minute.”
Hall scored an even later try a decade ago against Huddersfield Giants to seal the league leaders’ shield, the second part of what became an historic treble success, but admitted last Friday’s was one of the most unforgettable of his glittering career. He said: “It was memorable just for the context of it - last minute, we had been scrappy and it won us the game against a team that’s close to us in the league. It’s definitely one I will remember.”