Leeds Rhinos - Super League 2025 Preview and Prediction - video Dailymotion

Yorkshire Post

The Yorkshire Post's rugby league writer James O'Brien looks ahead to Leeds Rhinos' 2025 campaign in Super League, picking out reasons for optimism, areas of concern, key players and a predicted finish

Transcript

00:00I think Brad Arthur is the big one, he's the big difference going into this season compared

00:17to this time last year when they had Rowan Smith. Like his uncle Tony, it was very relaxed

00:24at least, there was very little accountability and the players struggled with that. They

00:29had a passive defence under Rowan Smith as well, where they just let sides come to them

00:34rather than dictate in terms and I think that's where it'll be different this season for the

00:38Rhinos. I think they'll have more aggression, more intent under Brad Arthur. They'll take

00:44the fight to the opposition rather than waiting to get punched in the mouth before doing something.

00:49So I think that'll be the big difference. He's a no-nonsense Australian coach and I

00:56just think he'll change the mentality of the team and that'll make all the difference.

01:01We saw last year with Warrington, the impact that a coach can have when he comes in and

01:05transforms the mentality. Sam Burgess did it with Warrington, got them up to finish

01:08third and I think Brad Arthur can have similar impacts at least in his first full season.

01:18The depth of the squad, I'd say, is the one concern. They've already lost Mike Sivo at

01:24a star signing to an ACL. They've brought someone in from Australia, an unknown quantity

01:28who hasn't played a first grade game. Beyond the top 20 or so players, there's a lot of

01:36young talent, unproven talent and that's probably where he leads. If they keep the squad fit,

01:43they'll go very well but if they do get a lot of injuries, as they have done in previous

01:48years, then they might struggle.

01:54Brodie Croft is an obvious one, a former Man of Steel. He was very good last season

02:01in the poor team, came up with a lot of assists, was right up there in that column and that

02:08was behind a struggling pack as well who played on the back foot for a lot of the season.

02:12So if Leeds do show more aggression, more intent in the pack, I think they could lay

02:18a good platform or an even better platform for Croft to show that kind of form that won

02:25him the Man of Steel.

02:30I think I've alluded to this already but I think Leeds will finish third. I just think

02:35you can't keep them down for much longer, surely. It's been eight years now since the

02:41last finish in the top four, which you would have thought that's unthinkable around the

02:47time they were winning all those titles. I just think they've got a nice balance now,

02:52particularly in the back line with Harry Newman and Jake Connor in there. I never thought

02:57I'd see Jake Connor in a Leeds shirt but he's had a good start, a promising start and this

03:02could be the year when he finally comes into his own at a big club on the big stage. I'm

03:07tipping Leeds to finish third.

Leeds Rhinos - Super League 2025 Preview and Prediction

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