Leeds Rhinos coach Rohan Smith has highlighted what his team must do to win Friday’s “super-challenging” test against St Helens.
Rhinos struggled to score in their 26-0 loss to Catalans Dragons last time out, but will have more firepower against Saints, with center Harry Newman, stand-off Brodie Croft, and on-loan winger Matty Russell all expected to play. Smith admits that his team’s performance in France needs to improve significantly, but he is certain that a win in front of the Sky TV cameras can turn their season around. “We’ve got a different lineup to start with,” Smith said. “We’ve had a couple key players back, which makes a big impact. We have to play better for longer.
The thing. “We battled hard at Catalans, but we didn’t have enough clinical finish to our sets, and we let ourselves down at the end of the game, so the score ballooned out a little. Everyone is still hurting from that. We have to start anew and play a decent, gritty, smart, skilled game of football to put a side that rarely loses at home to the test.”
Both teams have had a two-week break since their last encounter, and Smith stated, “It has been good; the players had a few days off to refresh and recharge a bit, but we got some great sessions in at the end of last week and over the weekend.”
“We have trained hard and well. It is an extremely critical moment in the midst of the season. We’ve been there contending in every match, but it’s critical that we turn being in the battle into being in the winner’s circle more frequently. That is the next chapter for us, and we will face a really difficult test this weekend.”
Rhinos have only won one of their last 17 encounters with Saints, losing 18-8 and 20-6 in consecutive league and cup games at AMT Headingley two months ago. Smith commented, “We’ve had a couple of really excellent, hard matches.
“The first match was one of the best Super League games I’ve seen this year. I thought it was a pretty high-quality game, with a lot of energy, and we played some great things that night. It feels like we fought them not long ago, so there’s probably some familiarity for both teams, but it’s also a new battle.
“We’ve had a number of terrific games against St Helens in recent years that have come down to the wire, so it’s just a case of getting back on track and really attacking the game. We know what they provide, therefore we need to go there and give some more.”
Smith believes the Saints are “a little bit different in some things they are doing” this year, but adds, “Overall, the glue of their team has been together for a long time.” There have been consistent characters, coaching staff, or senior players that have been there for a long period, and many of their main players have played for the same club.
“That affects how things are done. Even many of their imports have been there for a few years, so they have a sense of rhythm and coherence, and they set high criteria for themselves and compete successfully. “They have a high level of skill, experience, and athletic ability, therefore they are a benchmark for a couple of other teams in the tournament. “You have to be good to beat St Helens.”
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