One of the most exciting youngsters currently breaking through in Super League has to be Leeds Rhinos man Presley Cassell.
At 18, the Siddal and West Bowling academy product is quickly becoming a regular member of the Rhinos’ 17, and ended the 2025 campaign with seven first team appearances, three of those were from the starting line-up.
To add to that, Cassell also lifted the reserves Grand Final with Leeds, and was a significant member of that side as he and a whole crop of future Leeds stars emerged victorious against Warrington Wolves.
The achievements don’t stop there, as Cassell was also part of Yorkshire’s squad that defeated Lancashire in the Academy Origin series.
Season’s don’t come much better than the one that he has just had, and even the forward himself doesn’t know how it all happened, and how he can top that going into the new campaign.
Speaking exclusively to Serious About Rugby League, the youngster gave his verdict on how the last 12 months unfolded.
“It was the best year of my life, in terms of my rugby career,” said Cassell. “I ticked off so many things that I dreamed of when I was young, which was special not only to me, but my family as well.
“It’ll definitely be hard to top, but I’m looking forward to this year to build and kick on in the right direction.”
Cassell came through the Leeds ranks as a 13, but in his time in the first team has been utilised in the front row. It is a positional switch that has worked well for both the individual and the team, the youngster will play anywhere for the team, whether the role is unfamiliar to him or not.
Insisting he doesn’t have a favourite, he said: “I’m happy to do whatever the team needs me to do.
“Like you said, I did grow up playing loose forward, but I don’t mind anywhere in the middle, in all fairness. So yeah, I’m happy to play anywhere in the middle, really.”
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Leeds Rhinos prospect talks 2026 season goals
After such an emphatic year, it’s hard to imagine a 12-month period better than the last one, but there are still some goals that Cassell wants to tick off in season 2026.
Receiving the 20 squad number for the year, that decision suggests he will be a more prominent face in the team, and racking up more appearances is something that the forward wants to do in order to keep progressing.
Asked how he can improve on 2025, he replied: “I don’t really know, to be honest. I think my goal this year is to play even more games.
“I [want to] play more games than I did last year, be consistent week in, week out, and build some form behind myself where I put myself in the best position possible to be playing every week.
The Rhinos will travel to Las Vegas in round three to take on Hull KR, in one of the biggest games of the club’s season.
Cassell, who scored against the Robins at Headingley last season, admitted he would be star struck if he was able to play on that stage, revealing it would be a career high.
“Yeah, I mean, I don’t really know how I’m going to come [to terms with] that if I do end up getting chosen,” he explained.
“But if I don’t, then to all the other lads that are playing in it, it’s going to be a really special moment. I think it’s going to be one that’s probably hard to top when you look back at your career when it’s all done.
“But I’m working hard to get myself there and hopefully I can say that I’ve been there when it’s all done.”
