Leeds Rhinos reportedly sign star who can become the next Chris Hill as Rohan Smith builds Super League squad for 2023 with Championship signing

Recruitment has begun in earnest for the 2023 season.

As teams try and build the competitive nature of their squads, a number of Super League clubs are either putting the final pieces of their jigsaw together or overhauling their squads.

For the Leeds Rhinos, it’s a case of tweaking an already star-studded squad, though with the constraints in the salary cap, it means head coach Rohan Smith has had to some juggling to try and bring in players that he wants to nurture.

One of those is Batley Bulldogs’ Luke Hooley, who has been plying his trade in the Championship with the Bradford Bulls and Batley Bulldogs after a spell in Super League with Wakefield Trinity.

“If it’s reputedly true about Luke Hooley, is he good enough to play in Super League and can they develop a top Super League player at fullback?” Harrison said on The Full Eighty Minutes podcast.

“There’s going to be an interesting change at Batley,” The Game Caller added.

“As I’ve said Rohan (Smith – Leeds head coach) worked with Luke at the Bulls, there’s a relationship there and Rohan clearly sees something in Luke Hooley.

“Is he a current Super League player now? No disrespect to Batley or the way he is currently coached, I think he can do what Deon Cross and Chris Hill have done, so yes.

“He has the right attributes, it was very painful to say goodbye at Bradford. I remember covering those academy games with Luke and Brandon Pickersgill fighting for that fullback spot.”

The 24-year-old has a tough job in breaking past Zak Hardaker and Richie Myler in the fullback spot – if of course Hardaker is kept on at Headingley which is looking increasingly likely.

Hooley will, however, back himself all the way for a second chance in the top flight.