Leeds Rhinos new man discusses family pride as he follows in father’s footsteps

New Leeds Rhinos assistant coach Jamie Langley has revealed the family pride behind his return to rugby league and outlined growing differences between the 13- and 15-a-side codes.

Langley returned to rugby league last month after a stint in union, having made his name as a player with Bradford Bulls from 2002-2013 when they and Leeds were arch rivals at the top of the European game. His father John played 237 times for the Loiners between 1966 and 1975, including the famous 1968 Watersplash Challenge Cup final win against Wakefield Trinity and the Championship triumphs over Castleford in 1969 and St Helens three years later. The latter was the last time Leeds were crowned champions until 2004 when Jamie was in the Bradford side they defeated at Old Trafford. He gained revenge on the same stage a year later.

As a youngster playing with Normanton, Jamie Langley was spotted by Rhinos scouts and attended some elite camps with the club, but opted to sign for Bulls. “I thought Bradford was the right choice, even though my dad had played here,” he recalled.

“I did support Leeds a little bit growing up, but I thought Bradford was the right choice. There were a couple of opportunities throughout my career maybe to flick over, but nothing really left the ground.

“It has come full circle for me now, following in my dad’s footsteps, but as a coach. He is happy because he has always had a soft spot for Leeds and held Leeds close to his heart. I’ll try and get him to a few games this season.”

After spells with Hull KR and Sheffield Eagles, Langley moved into coaching as London Broncos’ academy boss in 2015 and he later became assistant coach. He joined Sale Sharks in 2021, reuniting him with former Bulls teammates Paul Deacon and Mike Forshaw.

Initially appointed as peak performance coach, he took charge of Sale’s defence last year following Forshaw’s departure to the Wales backroom staff. When his exit was confirmed in November, Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson described Langley as “a hugely popular figure at the club” and predicted he will “go on to achieve great things”.

His return to the 13-a-side code is good news for rugby league, as well as Leeds Rhinos, but Langley insisted: “I didn’t always plan to come back, I am not one to plan ahead. I just try to enjoy it and do the best job where I am.

“I’ve done three years at Sale and I did always think I’d give myself that – people said it would take three years to get to grips with the game and get a decent understanding of it.

“I thought I was getting there by that stage, but there was an opportunity to get back involved in league and at a club like Leeds, one of the biggest clubs in the world. It was a brilliant opportunity for me to work with this team and the coaches as well, so I thought the time was right to make that transition back.”

Langley reckons “certain things are transferable” between the codes. “It’s a similar ball, similar pitch, but the games are entirely different with the rules and the way they are played,” he said.

“The demands on the players are different as well and I think they are getting further apart, the way the games are developing and changing. Certainly in the English Premiership it is very attritional, the ball in play is pretty low. In rugby league the ball in play’s getting higher and the demands on players are incredible.

“The fitness levels and the expectations on these lads [at Leeds] are very different to what they were in rugby union. A lot of it is very different.”

Leeds Rhinos are a month into pre-season and Langley added: “I’m loving it, it has been great. The first week was a bit of a whirlwind, trying to get the lay of the land. There’s a lot of names to learn and all the terminology and everything else, but after week one I felt like I’d been here for years.

“I’ve settled in really well; it is a really good group of players and I’ve been really impressed with the attitude of the playing group, how receptive they are and how willing they are to learn and rip into training.

“That has been really, really impressive. It’s a really good group of off-field staff as well. Everyone has been so accommodating and helpful; if I have any questions there’s always someone on hand to help out, so I have been really impressed. I am loving being involved and really enjoying myself.”