Everything Rohan Smith said after Leeds Rhinos’ defeat to St Helens

Rohan Smith spoke to the press after Leeds Rhinos were left heart broken by a golden point drop goal from Lewis Dodd denied them a famous win.

Here is everything Smith said after the game:

Emotions after the game

Proud, is that an emotion? Disappointed for the boys not to get the two points or one, but probably most of all proud that you get to be involved in that kind of event.

We’ve been involved in back into last year and even this year. Both the games against St. Helens this year have been very high level. I think they’re setting the bar for performance in this competition. I’m privileged to be part of it.

I think both teams can go home feeling like they’ve done good for the sport. We’re certainly disappointed we didn’t take an opportunity or two but couldn’t be prouder of the way they stuck together and the players just kept finding it.

Asking a coach if it’s hard losing, you know, every game is brutal to lose. Yeah, you can look at things different ways and, you know, try and reframe the situation. St. Helens are playing against a team that’s lost three players in the first, whatever that was, 20, 30 minutes.

You know, I’m not sure what the penalty count was the set restarts disappeared again, you know All of that stuff that was going against or hard to to turn against, we certainly could have a lot of other teams would have been in a worse position than that and to go down at the back end of golden point, you know I couldn’t be prouder of the way that they applied themselves and you know, it’s spoke to them Before the game is going to take a lot to get a result tonight.

I’m disappointed for the two points, that’s what we’ve come for, but I’m proud of the way we played.

Injuries

I haven’t asked on all three of them. They’re clearly not good news. They’ll all be significant injuries. But nobody’s come near me and I haven’t asked. When players get replaced in the manner that they did, you know they’re not returning for the game so you know they’ll get reviewed and scanned and whatnot over the weekend and we’ll find out the outcomes of those but you know let’s not take away from the blokes that were out there and did what they did you know on both teams. Now they’re an unbelievable team, experienced, they had to earn every bit they got tonight.

James McDonnell Red Card

Haven’t watched it. I’ve turned away or which focusing on the next thing after The error and then I think one of the St. Helens players was probably given a bit of, you know, they came in and there was a bit of banter going on amongst a few of them during the game and you know whatever happened on the back of the banter I’m not quite sure. But obviously the video ref had a chance to review it so you know you’d hope that he got it right.

The two disallowed tries

Yeah, I think the Sam Walters one probably looks like it. There’s a bit of grass between the ball and the line, but if it goes up as a try, I don’t think there’s enough probably to overturn it. But I felt like that decision was right, and I’m pretty sure Paasi touched the ball when Justin juggled it so I think both those big moments without having you know looked at it over and over appear to have been correctly dealt with.

Should teams be allowed to draw

After the 80 of that performance and effort I wouldn’t have been unhappy that’s for sure to take a point would have been you know satisfying and and possibly you know deserved I’m not sure I don’t know we were looking through it from a different different lenses depending on which side of the fence you’re on I’m not sure who the best team was tonight I think there’s too much going on to actually have an accurate assessment of that you guys all say St. Helens were the better with a better team and the scoreboard says so.

Sam Walters