As part of huge change in the captaincy, Leeds Rhinos icon Kallum Watkins will form part of the club’s leadership team in 2026, something that he calls a “massive honour”.
Watkins, who re-joined the club in April 2025 after six seasons away, returned to Headingley in spectacular fashion, and was one of the side’s key players across the season.
His form even earned him a call-up to the England Ashes squad, and he featured twice in matches against Australia.
Signing a new deal to take him into the 2026 season, Watkins has been named as the club’s vice-captain, with centre Ash Handley taking the role of skipper.
Cameron Smith held the role of co-captain alongside Handley in 2025, but ahead of this season has had that role taken away, as he focuses on his return from injury and getting himself back into the 17.
Watkins returns to the Rhinos leadership team permanently, after he was made captain of the club in 2018, his final season before departing to the NRL. He spoke to the Leeds Rhinos YouTube Channel as the team returned to pre-season training for the first time since the new year.
There, he said: “It’s a massive honour. It’s full circle again. Obviously, I was captain in the past and I was captain with Ash as well.
“Ash has gained that captaincy, which is amazing for him, and it builds a strong leadership group and I want to help as much as possible with Ash. I’ve had that experience now with a bit of time being captain here and at Salford as well.
“I know what it’s about and what it takes, and I can give Ash a helping hand in that sense, but also gives me an opportunity to lead by my actions and help these young kids coming through.”
Following the Boxing Day victory over Wakefield Trinity, Leeds have two more pre-season games before the season begins, both of which are against Super League opposition.
First, a team made up of fringe players will travel to Castleford Tigers for Brad Singleton’s testimonial, a man who played alongside Watkins at Leeds in the 2010’s.
A week later, Smith’s testimonial game will hopefully see him return to the field to take on Bradford Bulls, with that game seeing the full first team in action.
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Leeds Rhinos star highlights young prospect after coach makes Jamie Peacock comparison
Leeds are known for constantly developing the next generation of talent, with the likes of Harry Newman, Handley, Ryan Hall and plenty more in the current squad hailing from the Rhinos’ youth system.
One player trying to progress through to the senior side is Ben Littlewood. The back rower is highly thought of at the club, with assistant boss Jamie Langley even going as far as saying he has a similar style of play to Rhinos legend Jamie Peacock.
Watkins has added to Littlewood’s praise, and highlighted how well he has done in the off-season so far.
He said: He [Littlewood]’s ripped in again in pre-season. When you develop, you work extremely hard in these preseasons and get that experience. Anytime that Ben needs help, he can always ask, and for me, he stood out in the [Boxing Day] game.
“The thing for me was, especially when you’re in the back row, it’s about doing the little things really well. I thought Ben stood out in that sense, and it showed with the stats.
“It’s about setting them standards and the young kids are setting the standards really well, and we’ve got to continue pushing that and when they get the opportunities to come into the first team and play, they’ll be ready.”
