Reformed Leeds star James Bentley insists he’ll keep his temper in check when it matters most - bringing former club St Helens to their knees at Old Trafford.
The aggressive second-row had a nightmare start to life at hometown Rhinos this season after leaving champions Saints. He was red-carded on his debut and picked up three different bans - totalling nine games - before June due to numerous pieces of foul play. However, in the second half of the campaign, Bentley has been squeaky clean and helped Rohan Smith’s Rhinos surge to Saturday's Betfred Super League Grand Final.
Saints could easily try and wind up their hot-headed former player in the fiery cauldron with a crowd of more than 60,000 expected at Old Trafford. But Bentley, who won the 2020 Grand Final with them, insisted: “I’m confident I’ll be able to stay in the zone - and just stick there. I know what I need to do to do my job, do it well and do what I need to do for the team. That’s the main thing.
“It couldn’t have gone much worse for me at the start of the year: red carded after 15 minutes of my debut is not how I wanted it to go! But I’ve put all that behind me. I had a few chats with Rohan. I was probably trying to do too much in a game and have too much of an effect. We talked about reigning my game in a bit and just doing the little things right, concentrating on what I do best. It’s worked.
“I’ve had some decent form and we’re playing well as a team which is the main thing. We’ve got those wins and I’m enjoying them. I’m happy.”
He has been in fine fettle, scoring two tries in Leeds' epic semi-final win at Wigan that booked their place at Old Trafford. Much of the build-up to Saturday has centred on the furore over Bentley's former Saints team-mate Morgan Knowles’ inclusion after the England loose forward saw a two-game ban for a ‘chicken wing’ tackle overturned.
What does Bentley feel he’d have received if he’d been up before the disciplinary on such a charge? He joked: "I can’t say too much: I want to be playing Saturday! I know Morgs. I’m good mates with him having played with him at Saints for years. I want to be playing against him. He’s one of the best players in the comp’. I’m looking forward to getting out there against him.”
Leeds were down in 11th at Easter but hit terrific form to reach fifth and have dumped Catalans and Wigan out of the play-offs. Now Bentley, 24, believes they can make the last step and end Saints’ hopes of a record-breaking fourth straight Super League title. He said: "“I am always confident we’re going to win. People wouldn’t have expected us to get there. But we have. And now we have to take our chances. I know that about Saints.”
