The Story Of 2023
For a club of Leeds Rhinos’ standing, that is one with eight Grand Final victories to its name, the 2023 season was an unmitigated disaster. Rohan Smith’s side landed in eighth place at the end of the 27 regular season rounds, with 12 wins and 15 losses. It was a campaign that was the very definition of inconsistency.
Perhaps we could have seen that coming from their first three results. They opened the season with two pretty chastening defeats, going down 42-10 at Warrington and then suffering a home loss to win-one-lose-three’s Hull FC. Not great preparation for a visit to the four-in-a-row champions St Helens, then. No matter, as the Rhinos marched into the home of the Saints and emerged with a one-point, 25-24 victory thanks to Blake Austin’s late drop-goal.
The pattern continued throughout March as the Rhinos lost to Castleford and Hull KR either side of a rousing 32-22 triumph over eventual Grand Finalists Catalans Dragons. Leeds could not string together more than three consecutive wins at any point in the season, a feat they achieved in late June and early July when they overcame Huddersfield, Warrington and Salford.
There was even a form of inconsistency within that stretch as the Giants were clobbered 54-0 but the Red Devils were only just edged out 16-14 either side of a 22-6 win over the Wolves. Conversely, three games was also their longest losing streak. Between May 26 and June 11 they lost to Saints, Castleford (again) and Wakefield (say whaaaaat?). But only by a combined total of 13 points.
Even the Challenge Cup couldn’t bring about a change. Their first assignment in the last 16 was a visit from holders Wigan. The Rhinos had blasted the Warriors 40-18 only a week earlier, and had done so with 12 men after the dismissal of Zane Tetavano. They raced into a 14-0 lead which must have instilled a sense of déjà vu into Matty Peet’s men. At which point Leeds collapsed, going out of the competition after allowing Wigan to score 18 unanswered points to complete an 18-14 turnaround.
The 2024 Recruits
The acquisition of Brodie Croft from Salford Red Devils could be a game changer. The 2022 Steve Prescott Man Of Steel had a more understated 2023 as Ian Watson’s side missed the playoffs by a couple of points. Yet the 26 year-old remains one of the best players in Super League. If he finds the form of a couple of years ago Leeds are in business.
Following Croft from Salford to Leeds is England hooker Andy Ackers. He spent time at London Broncos and Toronto Wolfpack before the move to the AJ Bell saw him blossom into an international player at a relatively late stage of his career. He is now 30, and perhaps for the first time has landed at a club where the pressure to perform and win is fairly intense. At least at playoff time should they make it that far. It maybe helps him a little that the Rhinos are coming off a bad year but there is always an expectation of success.
Fullback Lachie Miller made an outstanding start to the 2023 NRL season with Newcastle Knights. However, without wishing to sound too Pete and Dud about it he had a wobble in the form department which, coupled with the return from injury of superstar Kalyn Ponga saw him out of the side towards the back end of the campaign. So much so that he was released from the final two years of his three-year contract in Newcastle. That allows him to have a crack at solving a Leeds fullback problem that has seemed to exist since the departure of Zak Hardaker.
Leeds’ other notable NRL recruit has been in West Yorkshire before. Matt Frawley is a halfback who endured a massively underwhelming year with Huddersfield Giants in 2019. It was a surprise then that he was picked up by Canberra Raiders but perhaps not so staggering that he has only made 22 appearances in four seasons with NRL England the Green Machine. Two other former Raiders halves have departed Headingley in Aidan Sezer and Austin so Frawley is the next cab off the rank. Reports that Ricky Stuart is coming out of retirement to play for Leeds next year are unconfirmed.
In the three-quarters the big addition is Paul Momorowski. Despite having a surname that sounds like a breed of chinchilla available at Pets At Home, the 27 year-old is actually a pretty useful centre with 60 NRL games under his belt. One of those was the 2021 Grand Final which he won with Penrith Panthers. He arrives in Leeds from Sydney Roosters but has also played for Melbourne Storm and Wests Tigers. If he clicks into gear then he and Harry Newman could form one of the league’s better centre partnerships.
Rhinos coach Rohan Smith has decided upon a policy of quality over quantity in his recruitment this year. Aside from Castleford Tigers prospect Kieran Hudson there is only one more name to add to the list of arrivals. That is back rower Mickael Goudemand.
A Grand Finalist with Catalans Dragons in 2021 the 27 year-old did not feature in last year’s showpiece despite turning out 17 times for Steve McNamara’s side throughout the season. Now he heads north, out of the sunshine to add to a back row that already includes former Saints Rottweiler James Bentley, classy duo Rhyse Martin and Cameron Smith as well as the emerging talent of Morgan Gannon.
So Who’s Out?
I’ve already given the game away on Austin and Sezer. Former Wire man Austin’s days were numbered when he played out the last knockings of last season on loan at Castleford despite Rohan Smith’s apparent lack of knowledge of the move. Austin has since left Castleford Tigers and will instead represent the ludicrously named Central Coast Division Rugby League outfit Entrance Tigers in 2024. Meanwhile Sezer is also a Tiger, but of the Wests variety in the NRL.
The loss of former Penrith Panthers Grand Final winning forward Tetevano is a much more troubling tale. The 33 year-old suffered a stroke in training and required surgery to repair a hole in his heart. He has since been given the green light to resume the aerobic aspects of training but not yet for full contact. With his career in some jeopardy he has been released by the Rhinos.
Now, does anybody remember when Salford centre Joel Moon forced his way out of the club so he could go and win two Grand Finals and two Challenge Cups with the Rhinos? Well finally the Red Devils have taken a measure of revenge with the capture of Papua New Guinea international centre Nene McDonald. The former Leigh man appeared to go awol at the end of last term but now has a four-year deal with Paul Rowley’s side. Salford fans may take some joy in that fact, but they may also reflect that it was not worth the loss of Croft and Ackers.
Meanwhile prop Sam Walters could turn out to be a regrettable loss for Leeds. The 23 year-old was starting to make a real name for himself at Headingley but has made the trip west to join Wigan. Touted as a future international, Walters leaves a hole in the front row which Rohan Smith will hope can be filled by England international Mikolaj Oledzki, former Gold Coast man Sam Lisone, Mali-born French international Justin Sangare and local product Tom Holroyd.
Miller’s arrival and that of Croft and Frawley have meant that Richie Myler’s future lies elsewhere. The former Salford, Warrington and Catalans man has been at Headingley since 2018, scoring 52 tries in 134 appearances usually from fullback or the halves. The 2020 Lance Todd trophy winner will turn 34 midway through the season which he will spend with York Knights having agreed a one-year deal.
In the file marked ‘any other business’ fullback Luke Hooley and three-quarter Liam Tindall have moved on to Castleford and Hull FC respectively. The pair have struggled to break into the Leeds side despite its recent shortcomings.
What’s The Expectation?
It’s a difficult one to gauge. The 2023 season was hugely disappointing but only 12 months prior to that the Rhinos found themselves in the Grand Final where they became Saints’ fourth consecutive victim.
Expecting anything as a Leeds fan would appear to be complete folly. They have developed a bit of a reputation for playing the system having won the competition twice from fifth position in the league table. Even that 2022 Grand Final appearance was achieved on the back of another fifth placed finish.
Their last League Leaders Shield success was the historic treble year of 2015 with a team which featured Hardaker, Moon, Kallum Watkins, Ryan Hall, Rob Burrow, Kevin Sinfield and Jamie Peacock. They haven’t finished in the top four since 2017 when they were runners-up to Castleford before claiming the title by beating the Tigers in the Grand Final.
If Leeds are in the top six at the end of the weekly rounds they have previous for doing a lot of damage. It’s a habit which will always give their fans hope, if not always absolute belief.
What Will Really Happen?
It seems a bit Captain Obvious but it very much depends on how well the new men fit in. In Croft they have a player who could dominate the league should the mood take him. The decision to pair him with Frawley - if that is what Coach Smith does - looks more questionable. Ackers should be an upgrade at hooker where Jarrod O’Connor had been filling in despite not really specialising in the role previously.
Yet there would have to be concerns about the rest of the pack with Walters gone. A lot seems to rest on Oledzki who didn’t have his best season in 2023. The Polish-born prop was troubled by a shoulder injury but hopes to be at his best in 2024. Leeds fans will have everything crossed. In the back row Bentley is never too far away from a meltdown and a subsequent suspension but Martin and Cameron Smith are as good as there is anywhere else in Super League.
Don’t expect Leeds to be topping the table but you’d also be wise not to write them off as long as they are still in the fight.
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