Super League

New Zealand star reveals the former Leeds Rhinos player he used to love watching

by
Cam Pattison
October 7, 2022

Tomorrow night will see an exciting battle between Leeds Rhinos and New Zealand at Headingley.

The game will be reminiscent of when the two met in 2015 and is a call back to the kind of fixture we used to see frequently in the past with touring teams but is now a rarity as a club takes on a country.

It will act as a farewell appearance for Thomas Leuluai after a glittering career as well as a farewell game for Adam Cuthbertson who will retire after two years away from Leeds. He will get the chance one last time to run out at Headingley stadium.

Meanwhile, Leeds will also be bidding farewell to departing stars Tom Briscoe, Muizz Mustapha, Bodene Thompson and Hull FC bound duo Liam Sutcliffe and Brad Dwyer.

Nonetheless, the main priority for Kiwis is preparing for the World Cup, nonetheless one of their star players has allowed himself to enjoy the history of the club.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is the player in question who in an interview with BBC Radio Leeds spoke about enjoying learning the history of the Rhinos whilst reminiscing about one ex-Leeds player he enjoyed watching.

“I don’t know too much,” the fullback admitted, “We’ve done a few recovery sessions inside the Leeds Rhinos stadium and just been taking in all the history and looking at all the photos and the players.

“There is a player that I do know: Rob Burrow. I used to really enjoy watching him play when he was running around.”

Burrow is an eight-time Super League Champion making him Super League’s most successful one-club man but two years after retirement as a Champion in 2017, he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.

On this Nicoll-Klodstad said: “Unfortunately I do know, it’s really unfortunate. He’s done a lot for the game over here and a lot for Leeds Rhinos and like I said I used to really enjoy watching him run around.”

🗣️ 'I used to really enjoy watching him play.'

🏉 @NZRL_Kiwis star Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad heaps praise on @Rob7Burrow ahead of @leedsrhinos clash at Headingley.

Full interview
📺 https://t.co/XbpKp4qR5o

🦏 #leedsrhinos pic.twitter.com/TW18NujFFv

— BBC Sport West Yorkshire (@BBCWYS) October 6, 2022