Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur has revealed how proud he is after two of his players were selected to make the Super League Dream Team this week.
Half-back Jake Connor and back rower James McDonnell were both selected to be in the team of the season, after the pair have both had incredible campaigns that has helped the Rhinos finish fourth in the league ladder.
Connor, who joined the club on a tw0-year deal from Huddersfield Giants in the off-season, has been in arguably career-best form since making the move to AMT Headingley, and topped the Man of Steel voting charts when the points system went private.
The mercurial playmaker has been out with injury for the last few weeks, after picking up a rib injury in the 26-0 win over Huddersfield Giants. Leeds have lost the last two matches in his absence, and will be a big boost when they face St Helens this week.
Speaking about his star half, Arthur said: “Jake’s done a lot of work in his game to be able to execute and own big moments when he’s tired and fatigued and under pressure. And that’s credit to him with the work that he’s done in the pre-season. To allow him to be able to play a full 80 minutes.”
Connor is second in the Super League charts for assists this season, with only Lachlan Lam creating more tries than him this campaign.
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Meanwhile forward McDonnell has been consistently underrated this campaign, but has been given the plaudits he deserves with a Dream Team inclusion.
Featuring in every game so far this season, McDonnell has averaged 40 tackles per game, with a 94% efficiency, whilst in attack, the 25-year-over old makes 67 metres per game, has made 57 tackle busts and has eight tries – the most of anyone in his position.
Arthur was pleased to see his back rower represented in the squad, but also believes it is a great reflection on the team as a whole.
He said: “On Macca [McDonnell], he’s a sort of player you take for granted a little bit as a coach because he’s just become so reliable on how he turns up with his physicality, how he turns up with his effort areas. He’s really good. He owns them every week and he’s made it very tough for opposing halves.
“It’s a great individual accolade for both those guys. But, I feel like it’s probably a better accolade for the team and the group, and where the teams at. You don’t get individual awards unless the team’s doing really well, and I’m sure both those guys will be the first to mention it.
The Rhinos take on St Helens on Saturday night, in what will be the first playoff game to take place at AMT Headingley since 2017. Saints have had the measure of the Rhinos on home turf on the last coming in their Grand Final winning 2017 season.
Arthur commented on his side’s recent struggles against the Saints, and knows they will have to be at their best if they are to progress to the semi-finals.
He said: “All the games have been tight, and it’s been a real battle physically. Both teams have gone at it and I think both teams probably agree it has been a bit scrappy at times. We’ve just had some moments in those games that we quite haven’t owned and they’ve owned their moments and you’re not going to get many of them so you’ve got to make the most of them. We’ve got to be able to execute a bit better under fatigue and under pressure when we get those chances this week.
On earning that home play-off final, he added: “It’s going to be massive for us. You get a try and you get a bit of energy. Well, our fans can provide that energy, and they do provide that energy for us. So, we’ve got to make sure that we’re playing the right style of footy that gets them engaged and brings them into the game. We worked really had as a group to make sure we had a home final to show our appreciation for the fans. Now, we’ve got to work even harder to make sure we make the most of it.
