Ahead of the new Super League season, Leeds Rhinos Head Coach Rohan Smith has looked ahead at what the new season might hold.
Smith explained how he feels going into the new Super League season. He said: “I guess I’ve been right there day to day, sort of grind and process through the pre-season, which has been really enjoyable. Clearly you do it all for that performance on game day. As a head coach, I think you’re preparing for round one, but you’re also preparing for the marathon that’s ahead. We know it’s going to be a long and tough season, but we’re just super focused on Friday night, getting out there and getting started.”
He went on to elaborate how pre-season is difficult for every player in the squad: “Oh really difficult I think when you’re speaking about you know so many individual players that make up a team some players I think you know after two or three weeks of training they’re ready to go and they’re probably ready to play other guys are you know much earlier in their journey so they need the three to four months to get even close to being ready in round one. So I feel each pre-season fixture has been a beneficial one for us and we’ve taken little steps forward. We know we’ve got a long way to go and a real competition match is another level yet of intensity that you can’t replicate in the pre-season.
Leeds Rhinos boss addresses Nene MacDonald controversy
Warrington Wolves v Leeds Rhinos Picture by Ed Sykes/SWpix.com – 29/06/2023 – Rugby League – Betfred Super League Round 17 – Warrington Wolves v Leeds Rhinos – Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington, England – Leeds Rhinos head coach Rohan Smith Warrington
There was a lot that went against Leeds in 2023 including the saga around Nene MacDonald.
The centre was an excellent signing for Leeds at first but by the end of the season his Leeds career was a controversial subject. Ahead of Leeds’ game against Huddersfield, MacDonald was allowed to return home for the birth of his child.
He was set to return in time for the clash against Hull FC but did not and in fact did not return to England at all. A day after Leeds’ final game, he played for the Papua New Guinea Prime Minister’s XIII. Leeds and MacDonald would eventually agree his release.
They will meet again however as Leeds take on his new club Salford Red Devils in Round One.
Asked if he would catch up with MacDonald, Smith said: “Nah, I’d probably just rather leave that one. There was an agreement in the end by the club and Nene’s management to part ways. I haven’t heard or seen anything since. So, you know, we’re just professional people moving on.”
Smith also spoke about Salford as a whole: “Yeah, I expect a high energy team that are very well coached and brave in the way that they play. They showed some alterations to how they’ve played previously in their match against St Helens, but they only had their key players on the field for half a game or so. They also, the bounce of the ball went the other way that day. Scoreline wasn’t a reflection early in the piece at least. Paul coaches his teams to compete, they’re brave, they back themselves and we’ll expect that and we need to certainly be ready to combat that.”
