Disrupted barely does justice to Leeds Rhinos’ start to their Super League campaign after a raft of injury and suspension absentees and mixed performances contributed to their three opening defeats.
After Thursday’s 34-18 win, though, they are up and running at the fourth time of asking, much to the relief of head coach Richard Agar and his staff.
No team has ever reached, let alone won, the Grand Final after losing their opening three games.
Thus history is against Agar’s men as they bid to become champions for the first time since 2017.
Yet the opening 40 minutes of Thursday’s victory at Wakefield Trinity hinted at the potential of the Rhinos as they bid to move through the gears and potentially emerge as a genuine title-challenging force.
During the first half, Leeds’ teamwork was matchless, their conviction unshakeable, as they reduced Willie Poching’s men to so much rubble at a disbelieving Belle Vue.
Poching, the Wakefield head coach, and his assistant Francis Cummins know all about the threats posed by the Rhinos when the mood takes them.
Both men gave sterling service to the Headingley giants and were part of their squad who beat Bradford Bulls at Old Trafford in the 2004 Grand Final.
That marked Leeds’ first league title for 32 years and they are unlikely to wait as long to call themselves champions again.
Nevertheless, five years is a long between drinks for arguably Super League’s biggest and best-supported club.
This was supposed to be the year that the Rhinos re-emerged as contenders again.
They signed David Fusitu’a, Blake Austin, Aidan Sezer and James Bentley during the winter.
Four big-name signings to complement a squad dripping with homegrown talent.
Could the Rhinos yet go all the way and claim a ninth Super League title in 2022?
It will clearly take a special team to deny St Helens a fourth successive crown but Leeds, when the mood takes them, can be quite some force.
They were 30-0 up and in total control against Wakefield and the cigars were being passed around the visiting dressing room.
Leeds eased off and understrength Wakefield improved in the second half, yet the outcome was never in doubt.
Austin and Sezer caused Poching’s side plenty of problems with their kicking game and some of the rugby played Leeds in difficult conditions was a joy to behold.
Fusitu’a, in only his second appearance for the club, opened the scoring with a try which showed what he is capable on the right wing.
On the opposite flank, Ash Handley answered his omission from the England squad with a superb hat-trick of tries, giving Shaun Wane much food for thought.
Jack Walker produced his best performance of the season at full-back and Rhyse Martin, back in the side after a two-game absence following the recent passing of his father, also showed his class.
The sight of Harry Newman hobbling off with a hamstring problem was a cause of concern, but hopefully nothing more than precautionary.
With Richie Myler, Bentley and Alex Mellor all to come back, Leeds should get stronger in the coming weeks and months.
Whether or not they are good to win any silverware this term remains to be seen, but at least they are heading in the right direction again.
