If sport is about winning then Leeds Rhinos can justifiably deem their 2020 campaign a success.
In truth, almost anything would have represented success by comparison with a disastrous 2019 season. Then, David Furner came and went as head coach and the Rhinos survived by only four points after a late season rally. Things could only get better, which they did. After some characteristic political shithousing from Gary Hetherington Leeds’ 5th placed finish in 2020 even turned out to be good enough for a play-off place. But the real success came in the Challenge Cup which Leeds won for the 14th time with a 17-16 win over Salford Red Devils.
Many questioned the appointment of Richard Agar when he took over from Furner on a permanent basis towards the end of 2019. It was felt in some quarters that the former Hull FC and Wakefield boss was merely a stop-gap at Headingley. When the Rhinos were blasted by 30-4 in their opening game of 2020 Agar’s critics were sharpening their knives. Yet Agar’s side responded with five wins in a row, scoring 52 points against Hull KR and turning in a candidate for the most complete performance of the year by any side in Super League by smashing Warrington 36-0 at the end of February. They ran in 66 points against Toronto a week later, a result which unfortunately for them ceased to exist in the record books after the Canadian side withdrew from the competition before the August resumption.
The Rhinos never quite reached those heights again in the league. A week on from that fifth consecutive win (a miraculous one-point comeback victory over Huddersfield) Leeds were battered 48-0 by Saints and then lost 28-10 to Wigan. Towards the end of the season, as Covid began making fixtures ever more difficult to fulfil Agar began blootering nonsense in the press about expanding the play-off series from the planned four teams to a much more Rhino-friendly six. Incredibly, the authorities listened and Leeds scraped in despite only winning two of their last five league games. Of course, everybody enjoys it when the baddies get their comeuppance so there was widespread joy around the rugby league fraternity when Leeds were summarily shit-canned out of Grand Final contention at the first hurdle with a 26-14 defeat to Catalans Dragons.
Yer there would be no stoping the Rhinos in the Challenge Cup. The competition was decimated by the withdrawal of the non-Super League clubs who had made the last 16, but there will be no asterisk to donate this in the grand old competition’s history books. Victories over Hull KR (48-18) and Wigan (26-12) set up a Wembley showdown with Salford. In one of the more entertaining Challenge Cup finals in recent years the Rhinos prevailed by a single point, thanks ultimately to Luke Gale’s drop-goal. Leeds fans of a certain vintage are well used to celebrating final victories in October, but to win a Challenge Cup as the leaves started to fall was a new experience even for them.
As Hull FC fans will no doubt attest the only downside to winning important trophies is that it transports your previously unheralded head coach from a position of vulnerability to one of near untouchable unsackability. Agar has probably earned himself a shot at this campaign at least and will always be able to point to that cup success if things get hairy. Lee Radford’s cup triumphs with FC bought him another three underwhelming years at the helm before owner Adam Pearson blew his top in a live interview following a heavy defeat by Warrington. If Agar is not the right coach for Leeds fans then they may be concerned that they are stuck with him anyway for the foreseeable future.
This time around Agar will be assisted by Saints legend Sean Long. The former star halfback assisted both Keiron Cunningham and Justin Holbrook before a spell in rugby union with Harlequins. Now he’s back in league hoping to replicate the success he had both as a player and a coach. As the medal collectors of the Rhinos Super League glory years have all departed in the last few years it could be crucial to have someone like Long around who can show you exactly what it takes to win at this level. Long has had his problems mentally since his glorious playing career wound down but if his head is in the game he could be a real asset.
Clearly Leeds were not going to make the leap from fifth to first without a little tinkering with the personnel. Agar has overseen the recruitment of Zane Tetevano from Penrith Panthers and King Vuniyayawa from New Zealand Warriors. Bodene Thompson will be like a new signing too after making 11 appearances last term following his forced exit from Toronto. Having played in the Grand Final for Warrington in 2018 and also having a spell with Leigh there will be no issue with adjusting to the British game for Thompson. There might be an issue getting him to behave himself given that his chequered career includes being stood down by New Zealand in 2016 for his part in a booze and prescription drugs fiasco and also a fairly sordid sex scandal in which he accused his former partner of blackmail. At 32 it is to be hoped his wilder days are behind him.
Back rower Tetevano carries a bit of baggage too but we’ll get to that later. First the good stuff. He made 19 appearances for NRL Grand Finalists Penrith Panthers in 2020. One of those was off the bench in the Grand Final defeat by Melbourne Storm. He has amassed 122 NRL appearances in eight seasons which have seen stops at Newcastle Knights and Sydney Roosters before Penrith. Quite the CV. But there’s a but. There’s always a but. Tetevano spent two years out of the NRL after being sacked by the Knights in 2014 for smashing a taxi window following a domestic dispute. At 30 the prop or loose forward should be beyond these kind of shenanigans now but Leeds recruitment does seem to highlight quite how much risk is always involved in signing NRL stars.
The one other significant addition is 25 year-old second rower King Vuniyayawa who arrives from New Zealand Warriors. Vuniyayawa is a rugby union convert who had only just made the breakthrough into the Warriors first team from their Queensland Cup side when he chose to make the move to West Yorkshire. In that regard he will be something of an unknown quantity to British fans. He has represented Fiji on three occasions and together with Tetevano and Thompson it is hoped he will improve Agar’s pack options.
Help was needed after the retirements of both Stevie Ward and Dom Crosby, while 2015 Man Of Steel nominee Adam Cuthbertson has moved on to York City Knights. Ava Seumanufagai was also released by Leeds. The new recruits will be complimented by established pack men Mikolaj Oledzki, Alex Mellor, Rhyse Martin and Brad Dwyer. Matt Prior was a standout in his first season with the Rhinos after joining from Cronulla. Cameron Smith, Alex Sutcliffe and James Donaldson will be among those competing for places in a pack that still looks a little short of title potential.
The backs are a far more exciting group. Ash Handley has his critics but is an absolute try machine who no longer seems to have any serious defensive frailties. Harry Newman is one of the best prospects in the British game at centre. If he recovers well from an horrific injury towards the end of last season his partnership with the always entertaining Konrad Hurrell will be a must watch. Tom Briscoe is still around as is his brother Luke, while if Jack Walker can stay fit he is one of the most talented full backs in the competition. Richie Myler has filled in there adequately enough but there’s arguably a lack of depth at number one.
If there is a creative question mark against Leeds it is in the halves where the combination of Gale and Robert Lui doesn’t always convince. Improvement in the forwards may help that but it is also possible that the experienced Myler may feature in the halves more regularly or that 21 year-old Callum McLelland may start getting the game time he needs to come of age as a Super League player. Having Long around won’t hurt his development.
Leeds begin their campaign on March 27 with what will actually be a home game against Wakefield Trinity with the whole of round one taking place at Headingley. They then come to St Helens to take on Castleford Tigers as Saints take over hosting duties for round two.
If you were to ask the fans I’m sure they’d say the playoffs are a minimum target for Agar in 2021. That’s not an unrealistic goal and we’ve all seen in the past what they can do once they are there, even if they only just scrape in. Yet doubts remain about whether this side has the quality or the mentality to match its predecessors of the first two decades of Super League. They shouldn’t have to worry about the drop but Leeds are also unlikely to add another Super League crown just yet.
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