Jamie Jones-Buchanan reveals Super League’s “hardest worker” in the shape of ex-Leeds Rhinos teammate

When you think of title winning teams, yes the star players, the organisers and the massive props come to mind but at the heart of them are those less lorded players who work damn hard week in, week out.

Jamie Jones-Buchanan was the rock of the Golden Generation at Leeds working hard week to week and in Grand Finals so the likes of Kevin Sinfield, Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow could be the difference makers on the big stage.

A man who played the game for 20 seasons at Headingley alongside some of the hardest working players in Super League history, Buchanan knows exactly what makes a player hard working and he has picked out one player who he used to play alongside as the hardest working man in Super League.

He also noted that he missed him when he left Leeds.

The man in question in Jamaica captain Ash Golding who played hooker for Jamaica on Sunday against Ireland and proved any doubters wrong with a gutsy performance in the middle of the park making the most tackles on the pitch with 56.

Some questioned playing him at hooker due to the fact he is a natural fullback and spemt much of 2022 on the wing for Huddersfield.

Golding has played hooker since some spells there at Leeds in 2018 and many at Huddersfield this year, but still people questioned if he had what it took to start at nine but Buchanan certainly felt he did branding him the game’s hardest worker on BBC.

The Leeds legend said: “I actually missed him when he left Leeds because he’s one of those characters around the place, not just on the pitch, that raises the proverbial tide.

“When you look at the metrics, he is the hardest working player in the game. His tackles, his speed, his efforts per minute. All the KPI’s we measure for effort.

“Maybe not the most skilful player but never lacks effort.