Leeds Rhinos star ends any rumours of potential exit as he returns to pre-season training

One of Leeds Rhinos’ biggest signings of last season was the arrival of NRL winger David Fusitu’a.

He was where Leeds decided to use to their final quota spot for 2022.

Fusitu’a burst onto the scene during the 2017 Rugby League World Cup scoring a memorable hat-trick during Tonga’s crusade to the semi-finals.

In 2018, he kicked on finishing the season as the NRL’s top try scorer.

However, injuries have hampered him since then and a move to Super League offered him a new start. When he played for the Rhinos he was exceptional announcing himself in a pre-season friendly with a thunderous hit against Hull FC.

However, his league debut ended with concussion and that would be the story of his 2022 season.

He would go on to miss the Grand Final.

Since the end of 2022, there had been speculation among fans that Fusitu’a, who enters the final year of his deal with the Rhinos in 2023, would not return to Headingley.

This peaked when the club used their final quota spot and still required a centre and had signed two wingers in the shape of former Castleford Tigers man Derrell Olpherts and Leigh Leopards youngster Luis Roberts.

However, Fusitu’a helped bring Sam Lisone to the club from Gold Coast Titans suggesting he was staying and any suggestion that he would not return to the Rhinos has certainly been wiped away now with the winger returning to pre-season training this week as per the Rhinos’ social media:

Great to see David Fusitu’a back in pre-season training this week pic.twitter.com/KbVbksDuDT

— Leeds Rhinos (@leedsrhinos) December 14, 2022

With him, Ash Handley, Harry Newman, new signing Nene MacDonald, Olpherts and others Leeds have one of the best back divisions in Super League and could therefore go one better than last season.