Rohan Smith says this is “truly special” when it comes to Leeds Rhinos

As the Super League season approaches, at Headingley there is excitement that Rohan Smith is the man to end Leeds Rhinos’ wait to be crowned Champions again after he pulled off a miracle to take them to Old Trafford last year despite the fact they were second bottom in April.

Smith has now released a statement to the fans and underlined how special the atmosphere was in 2023:

“As we approach the start of the 2023 Betfred Super League season, I wanted to personally reach out and say a huge thank you to everyone who has shown their Faith and signed up as a Member.

“Since arriving, the welcome I’ve received from across the Rhinos community has been nothing short of amazing. It’s been a huge help in enabling my family and me to settle quickly into our new surroundings. Thank you all for this.

“The Headingley atmosphere at the back end of the 2022 season was truly special. The South Stand was bursting with energy that the players and staff really fed from. Without that energy, I’m not sure we’d have won those close battles. I’m excited to see if there’s another level of noise and support from this crowd. ”

He also bigged up what the Rhinos can achieve in 2023 after a great end to 2022:

“Looking ahead to 2023, the plan is to compete hard, play together on both sides of the ball and entertain. We aim to be able to win in different ways; while we will continue to move the ball and play to space, we will also have the ability to play a power game when needed.

“This approach has really driven the roster changes in the off-season. We have added some size and strength in our middle (Sangare and Lisone) and our outside back (Macdonald, Olpherts & Roberts). We’ve also been able to add some players in their early/ mid 20’s who are ready to kick on, take their game to the next level and add some real competition to the squad.

“With the group we’ve assembled, we approach the season with optimism as we look forward to competing and building on the foundations set in 2022.”