Two Years On, Leeds Rhinos’ Rohan Smith Reflects on His Tenure as Head Coach
As Leeds Rhinos head coach Rohan Smith approaches the two-year anniversary of his appointment later this week, he has opened up about his assessment of the first two seasons in charge at Headingley.
Smith has faced mounting pressure following a disappointing start to the 2024 campaign, with former player Blake Austin among those questioning the coach’s tactics and recruitment decisions. This comes after Smith’s uncle, Tony, became the first Super League manager to be dismissed earlier this year.
Speaking to the press, Smith acknowledged there is still plenty of work to be done, but expressed pride in the progress made so far:
“There’s a lot still to do, but I think there’s a lot of gains that have been made. We’ve accomplished quite a bit in some respect. The 2022 run that we went on was something that I haven’t reflected on a lot, but I probably will at some stage about how special that was.”
The Rhinos clinched a playoff spot in 2022 with a vital 14-8 victory over Castleford Tigers, capping off a strong finish to the regular season that saw them win 9 of their final 11 matches, including impressive wins over Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons.
However, 2023 proved to be a more challenging year, as the side finished eighth in the league and missed out on the postseason. Departures of key players like Blake Austin, Kruise Leeming and Nene Macdonald midway through the campaign hindered their consistency, culminating in a heavy 61-0 defeat to Catalans.
Despite the setbacks, Smith remained encouraged by the performances of the club’s younger talents, such as Jack Sinfield and Corey Johnson, who showed promising signs for the future.
Looking ahead to the remainder of the 2024 season, Smith expressed determination to turn the Rhinos’ fortunes around: “Now it’s a matter of getting our season just turning the right way this year.” The side will face Huddersfield Giants at Headingley on Friday, April 19th at 8pm.
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