2023 Season Preview: Leeds Rhinos

2022 was a real rollercoaster of a season for Leeds Rhinos and the Headingley faithful will be hoping for a smoother ride in 2023.

Halfway through the year the side were in contention for relegation under Richard Agar until he resigned and was replaced by Rohan Smith who remarkably led the side to the grand final. Now heading into the new season, Smith will get the chance to spend a full pre-season working with the squad and embedding his own coaching philosophy.

Rohan Smith spoke near the end of last season about wanting to lower the average age of his squad which the club have done by bringing in a number of exciting young prospects like Luis Roberts from Leigh Leopards and Leon Ruan from Doncaster. The younger players should suit the dynamic brand of attacking rugby that Smith likes to play.

Alongside these youngsters they have also recruited players with international pedigree. This includes Sam Lisone and Justin Sangare who, alongside Mikolaj Oledzki, will provide real grunt to a pack that was sometimes a little lightweight in 2022.

Although the club have made some strong signings, the off season has seen the departure of a number of players who were key in the team’s playoff push in 2022.

Zak Hardaker only returned to the club in the middle of the season but he quickly became a driving force for the side, whether that be at fullback or centre. Time after time he would show up to take tough carries and drag the team upfield.

Similarly Liam Sutcliffe, who has left for Hull FC with Brad Dwyer, found a home at centre in 2022 and was in close to career best form during the playoffs – including scoring a hat trick of tries against Catalan Dragons in the first round of the playoffs.

Pre season has looked slightly different at Leeds Rhinos this year as a number of sessions have been held where the club’s mens, womens and academy sides have all trained together.

Speaking about the joint training sessions, Rohan Smith said: “It was great to get everyone together and something we thought was really important.

“Rather than a series of teams playing under one badge, it’s understanding that everyone has got a part to play in the club being a success and that comes with interaction and connection between the different grades and team.”

What will be key for the Rhinos in 2023 is minimising players missing games due to injuries and bans. Leeds Rhinos received the most bans in 2022 which really tested the clubs squad depth and impacted the cohesion of the side that included a number of new recruits.

Similarly key players like Harry Newman, Kruise Leeming, Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer all suffered injuries which saw them spend large periods of time on the sideline and forced the coaching staff to play players out of position or turn to youngsters like Max Simpson and Jack Sinfield.

The question that many will be asking is, can Rohan Smith and the Rhinos continue where they left off in 2022? They will no longer be plucky underdogs who have defied the odds and will instead start the season with the expectation of mixing it with the very best of Super League.

Players like Cameron Smith and Jarrod O’Conner who excelled at the back end of the year will now have to prove that they can do it week in week out in 2023. Smith in particular has been handed the hallowed 13 shirt for this season which comes with its own set of pressures.

Arrivals:

Justin Sangare (Toulouse), Derrell Olpherts (Castleford), Sam Lisone (Gold Coast), James McDonnell (Wigan), Luis Roberts, Nene Macdonald (both Leigh), Leon Ruan (Doncaster), Luke Hooley (Batley), Toby Warren (York).

Departures:

Zak Hardaker, Tom Briscoe (both Leigh), Brad Dwyer, Liam Sutcliffe (both Hull FC), Jack Walker, Bodene Thompson (both Bradford), Muizz Mustapha (Castleford), Matt Prior (retired), Jack Broadbent (Castleford).

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