Leeds Rhinos star set for stunning return
Leeds Rhinos v Salford Red Devils Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com - 05/05/2023 - Rugby League - Betfred Super League Round 11 - Leeds Rhinos v Salford Red Devils - Headingley Stadium, Leeds, England - Leeds stand for the national anthem ahead of the coronation of King Charles the Third on the 6th May 2023. Leeds Headingley Stadium England Copyright: x xSWpix.comxt/axPhotographyxHubxLtdxAllanxMcKenzie/SWpix.comx SWP-2046-0007
After a promising start to the 2024 season, Leeds Rhinos have been handed a major boost with young Max Simpson close to a return after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
In this afternoon’s press conference, Rhinos head coach Rohan Smith confirmed: “Max Simpson’s not too far away from a return.
“We’ve got high hopes for some other young guys in our program as well.”
Simpson made his Super League debut against Castleford Tigers in 2022 alongside Jack Sinfield, but Leeds Rhinos fell to a 16-14 defeat at Wheldon Road.
The centre made four good appearances in the 2022 season, but suffered an ankle injury.
After returning for a Boxing Day friendly, he suffered a pre-season ACL injury that kept him out of the entirety of the 2023 Super League season.
Max Simpson is clearly well-regarded by those at Headingley, as he penned a contract last year keeping him at the club until the end of the 2026 season.
At the time, Smith said: “He is an exciting, young prospect who is well liked within our group.
“I am excited to see him continue to progress in the coming years.”
His future at Leeds Rhinos
The club committed themselves to him for another three years when he was halfway through an ACL injury, at the age of just eighteen.
Head coach Rohan Smith clearly sees him as a top prospect, and he looked good, despite his young age, when he was playing in 2022, at the young age of seventeen.
If he’s anywhere near as good as he was pre-injury, we could be seeing him as a key Super League player for over a decade to come.
He does have competition now from the likes of Ned McCormack, Luis Roberts and others all of whom are vying for the centre spots moving forward and all are very talented.
In fact, another young man was given first team action but for Halifax Panthers. That is young man Jack Smith who moved to Halifax on dual registration after a strong pre-season where he scored a lovely intercept try against Wakefield Trinity on Boxing Day.
So, Leeds have options in this area.