Leeds Rhinos playmaker Jake Connor has again been asked about his Ashes prospects after another man of the match performance in Super League.
Connor has been a standout all season, leading the Super League Man of Steel standings leaderboard before it went dark, and he put in another stellar performance as he helped tear apart his former club.
Leeds won 34-0 with Connor scoring one, assisting four others and kicking five from six from the tee, making him a deserving and unsurprising man of the match.
It’s been a common sight seeing Connor adorned with the man of the match medal at the end of games this year and his form has understandably seen it suggested that he should be in the Ashes squad, if not in the starting line-up.
Former Leeds Rhinos man Barrie McDermott argued the latter at half-time of the Rhinos’ win over Hull FC, and those Ashes shouts were put to Connor at full-time.
Leeds Rhinos star addresses Ashes shouts
Asked if the upcoming Ashes series was an “incentive” to finish the season on a high, Connor admitted that it was “big” but that his focus remained the same.
“I think it’s everyone’s dream to play against the Aussies and it’s not been done in a while but like I’ve said before, I can only focus on what I’m doing,” Connor explained.
“I’ve been playing with a smile on my face and I feel I’ve been consistent, so that’s all I can do.”
Shaun Wane had previously noted consistency and a need for players to perform in big games when asked about Connor’s omission from the squad he named earlier in the season, pointing to his below-par performance against St Helens as an example.
Connor has arguably been the most consistent half in Super League but whether he’s done enough to change Shaun Wane’s mind is another question.
Speaking more about the game, Connor paid credit to one of the Leeds Rhinos’ forwards for changing the game in the first-half: “We probably started a bit flat but I thought when Cooper Jenkins came on, he completely changed the game.
“We started to get on the front foot a bit more and we’d spoken about staying in the grind and the fact Hull would fall off, that’s what we did.”
The win takes Leeds into third, above both St Helens and Leigh Leopards with the Rhinos applying pressure on second-place Wigan Warriors.
A comfortable win for Leeds Rhinos 💥 pic.twitter.com/56abbfByeM
— Sky Sports Rugby League (@SkySportsRL) August 30, 2025
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