Rohan Smith shoots down the idea that Super League should copy the NRL in this area
September 23, 2022, Manchester, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom: Rohan Smith Head Coach of Leeds Rhinos arrives at Old Trafford Stadium ahead of the 25th Betfred Super League Grand Final match St Helens vs Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom, 23rd September 2022. Manchester United, ManU Kingdom - ZUMAn307 20220923_zsa_n307_022 Copyright: xJamesxHeaton/NewsxImagesx
Pre-season is now firmly in the rear-view mirror for Super League with Round One two days away.
But in the NRL, World Club Challenge aside, it is still ongoing as teams compete for the $100,000 cash prize in the NRL’s Pre-Season Tournament.
However, Leeds Rhinos boss Rohan Smith doesn’t think such a tournament would function over in the UK.
Speaking to the press today, Smith explained his thoughts behind this:
“I haven’t given that much thought. I think if you watch the NRL pre-season games over the years, I don’t know what the viewing rates have been or the attendances but with clubs using 26, 28 players in a game they’re just using those games to service those players and get them suitable game time.
“If the NRL have made a competition of it, the teams haven’t been trying to win because a lot of the games I’ve watched a lot of the top players, front line players have not finished the game and when the game has been on the line they’ve not gone out there.
“So I think they’re just using it as a practice as a conditioning hit out and being competitive with whoever is on the field.
“Some teams have fielded their top 10 players some didn’t field any of their top 15 players so I think pre-season games are a case by case and team by team situation so I don’t know if a competition would facilitate that.
“Different clubs have different needs in this country, testimonial games, pre-existing relations with a dual reg club and all that type of stuff so I don’t think a blanket rule is the way to go.”