Rohan Smith responds after Leeds Rhinos fans chant for him to be sacked

Leeds Rhinos stumbled over the line to beat coachless Hull FC and the nature of the performance saw fans chanting post-game calling for Rohan Smith to be sacked, and the Australian has now responded.

All wins are equal in the sense that they’re simply worth two points on the Super League ladder but Leeds Rhinos fans would have hoped that the fixture against Hull FC would be a ‘get-right’ type game.

With FC having shipped 50 or more points in four of their last five games including a whopping 110 points in their last two home games, many expected Leeds Rhinos to run up a score. Sky Sports’ pundit Sam Tomkins was among those as he predicted “Leeds by 40”.

Instead, all those expectant fans got was a nervy 18-12 win, the fewest points that any side has scored against FC this season including winless London.

Leeds Rhinos fans call for Rohan Smith’s sacking after win

It’s a strange situation for fans to be disappointed with a win but that was the case at the MKM Stadium with a number of fans in the travelling support calling for Rohan Smith to be sacked.

Those chants went on during the game but also continued post game and Smith was asked in his post-match presser about that discontent.

“Firstly, it was a great following. There were many people there,” Smith told BBC Radio Leeds.

“When I walked up the grandstand and looked out there, I was like, ‘That’s a great support’.”

He did try to bat off the talk about those negative chants though, joking that his hearing wasn’t the best but accepting that he was aware of the “discontent”.

“There was a portion of discontent. I didn’t really understand. I haven’t got the best of hearing. I think too many concerts in my younger days has blasted my hearing a little bit.

“But I did get the gist of it post-game.”

Footage of the chant, which can be viewed via the tweet at the bottom of the article, has been shared on social media with a number of fans chanting ‘We want Rohan out, we want Rohan out’.

Is Rohan Smith under pressure?

There has already been one Super League coach sacking this season and it was for Rohan’s Uncle, Tony Smith, with today’s opponents Hull FC opting to part ways with the Australian.

There have been suggestions in recent weeks that the pressure is now mounting on Rohan Smith with the expectant Leeds Rhinos fans demanding more.

That’s in spite of the fact the club sit just one win outside the playoffs and two wins from the summit of Super League, more a testament to the tight nature of the competition than the fact Leeds have been strong contenders.

The Rhinos have won five of their nine Super League games but three of those four victories have come against sides in the bottom four.

Smith was asked after the defeat to Huddersfield Giants if he felt that he was under pressure, something that the Australian claims he had “never considered”.

After boos at the final whistle last week and chants today then Smith might be feeling the pressure a little bit more.

Voices been shown pic.twitter.com/e1euxK2Llm

— LoinersView (@loinersview) April 28, 2024