Leeds Rhinos are contemplating a shock Super League return for halfback Tyrone Roberts, Rugby League Live understands. In an unexpected development, Rohan Smith is believed to be considering the veteran halfback as a recruit for next season.
Aidan Sezer is widely expected to return to Australia at the end of this campaign and with Blake Austin's future also unclear at this moment, the Rhinos are believed to have held talks with Roberts about a move to the club next season.
It's quite the left-field move by Leeds, who have been linked with the likes of Luke Brooks in Australia. While Brooks is one of the highest-paid players in the sport, Roberts is currently playing in the Queensland Cup for Burleigh Bears and has only played five NRL games since the beginning of the 2020 season.
But he has a long association with Rohan Smith. Roberts was the Norths' halfback under Smith when they won the Queensland Cup in 2021 and remained at the club the year after. Smith would leave midway through the season to take up the job at Headingley but Roberts steered Norths to a successful defence of the competition.
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He has now moved clubs and is playing for Burleigh Bears but sources have told Rugby League Live that he has expressed an interest in returning to the UK, where he previously had one unsuccessful season with Warrington Wolves.
The Wire signed Roberts as a marquee played ahead of the 2018 season from Gold Coast Titans - where Smith had been an assistant coach. But he left the club just one season into a three-year contract. Family reasons were quoted as being behind his departure at the time and he eventually returned to the Titans. In total, Roberts has made 158 appearances during his NRL career, scoring 35 tries.
Leeds' logic is thought to revolve around the development of Jack Sinfield. The club consider the teenager as the club's halfback for years to come but feel he needs another year before he is ready for a regular, senior role. Roberts is seen as a good short-term solution while his experience would aid his development. Any move would be subject to securing a visa which could be problematic given his lack of games in the NRL over recent seasons.
