Strong position, best kick, Super Mac, overseas greats and French test: latest Leeds Rhinos talking points
With seven games to play, the business end of the season has arrived.
Leeds Rhinos are where all 13 of their Betfred Super League rivals would like to be, sitting top of the table, but there’s a lot of hard work still to be done, starting at home to Toulouse Olympique on Friday. Rhinos returned to winning ways against Bradford Bulls last weekend, but injuries are beginning to stack up. Here’s five talking points.
1: In good shape. Including Ethan O’Neill who is now contracted to Hull FC, 28 men have played for Rhinos this season and eight of them are unavailable for Friday’s game. Injuries were likely to strike at some stage and since Magic Weekend Leeds have been picking up at least one every week.
Disruption to their devastating left-side winger/centre combination is a blow and it is a shame Maika Sivo, who has scored 31 tries in 20 appearances, won’t set seasonal records which seemed inevitable a week ago. That said, he could be back from his broken arm for the play-offs and the likes of Ash Handley, Ryan Hall, Keenan Palasia and Danny Levi having a mid-season rest might be a blessing in disguise, if Leeds can keep winning without them.
Rhinos are still in better health than many of their rivals and made the most of it when they had a fully-fit squad, so a top-two finish is in their own hands. Any team would settle for that with a quarter of the season remaining.
2: Best kick ever. The most important 40/20 in Rhinos’ history was Kevin Sinfield’s in the 2015 Super League semi-final at home to St Helens. Leeds were out on their feet until the captain came up with an incredible play to turn the game, effectively sending them to Old Trafford where they completed a clean sweep of domestic trophies.
Jake Connor’s monster effort against Bradford wasn’t as significant, but ex-Hull FC and Hull KR legend Paul Cooke described it as the “best kick I’ve ever seen in rugby league” and it’s hard to argue. The touch-finder swung the momentum Leeds’ way and wasn’t Connor’s only significant moment.
He provided the assist for all four of Rhinos’ second half tries and finished with seven goals from as many attempts. The form he is in at the moment, he really is a special player and a certainty for an England World Cup spot - if he stays fit.
3: Super Mac. Previous coach Rohan Smith’s recruitment was criticised during the three seasons he spent at Leeds and a lot of it didn’t work out, but he had some successes. Lachie Miller, for example, has developed into an outstanding full-back and Man of Steel contender, but he was signed from an NRL club.
Second-rower James McDonnell had six Super League appearances under his belt with Wigan and joined Rhinos from a loan spell in the second-tier with Leigh, but has rarely missed a game since his debut in 2023, reaching his century of matches for Leeds in less than four full seasons.
Always a tireless defender, he has reduced his errors and is Leeds’ third-highest try scorer this year, with 10. He will be missed when he joins Perth Bears in 2027, but has all the attributes to be a success in the southern hemisphere NRL.
4: Top import. Wigan Warriors star Bevan French’s return to fitness has sparked a debate over who is the best overseas player to feature in Super League. It’s an impossible question to answer, being largely subjective, but some Rhinos greats deserve a mention.
You don’t get nicknamed ‘Superman’ by being ordinary and Australian-born New Zealand international Brent Webb was a sensational full-back who made things happen and was fun to watch.
Props rarely receive the recognition they deserve, but Kylie Leuluai was integral to Rhinos success between 2007 and 2015 and not many players could boast skills to match the majestic Ali Lauitiiti, who once scored five tries in a game as a substitute forward. Those three all deserve to be in the conversation.
5: French test. Friday’s game will be a good challenge for an injury-hit Rhinos side. Toulouse play good attacking rugby - St Helens are the only team in the bottom half of the table to have scored more points this term - and Leeds will need to be switched on defensively. Olympique’s talisman Olly Ashall-Bott is likely to miss out with a hamstring injury, but they scored 24 points without him when Rhinos visited Stade Ernest Wallon last month.
Some fringe players will have to step up as Rhinos aim to maintain their 100 per cent record at AMT Headingley and off the field the club are doing their bit to make it a memorable evening. More than 13,500 tickets have already been sold, which is more than 2,000 up on the gate for Toulouse’s previous visit to AMT Headingley four years ago.
Leeds are offering all tickets at half-price, so £13 for an adult to stand. There won’t be more than a handful of visiting fans, but clubs shouldn’t rely on away support to boost their gates; it’s up to them to come up with ways of doing that, so full marks to Rhinos for the initiative.