It was not so long ago that Kruise Leeming was seen as one of the most important players in Leeds Rhinos’ squad. At the start of last season, Richard Agar appointed him captain of the eight-time Super League champions.
Leeming then helped the Rhinos to make the Super League play-off semi-finals in 2021 before his promotion as skipper. Although the Rhinos made a disastrous start to 2022 – prompting Agar to quit just six games in – they remarkably ended it challenging for the title.
Rohan Smith arrived in May and transformed a team of relegation-threatened no-hopers into Super League Grand Finalists. Leeds lost to all-conquering St Helens, but there was no shame in that and the turnaround they enjoyed under Smith was staggering.
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Significantly, however, it was Jarrod O’Connor – not Leeming – who emerged as Smith’s first-choice hooker in their march to Old Trafford. O’Connor had been competing for game-time at loose forward with Zane Tetevano and Cameron Smith and had barely played nine before.
Then Smith arrived and told the former Widnes Vikings prospect he would be best suited to the pivotal hooking role. It proved the making of O’Connor as a series of outstanding displays helped Leeds to make the title decider.
In the play-off semi-final win at Wigan, O’Connor stole the show with a vital try. Leeming, who had been sidelined with a foot injury which did not help his cause, captained Leeds in the Grand Final but again did so from the bench.
All the attention in the build-up to that game was on O’Connor and his dad Terry, the Sky Sports commentator who played in the first Grand Final for Wigan against Leeds in 1998.
Leeming got on the scoresheet against Saints but missed out on World Cup selection with England. He also lost the captaincy at Leeds last month when Smith decided he did not need a full-time skipper.
That raised further questions about Leeming’s position in the pecking order at Headingley. Nevertheless, Leeming actually started the first two games of this season against Warrington and Hull FC before being benched for the round-three win at St Helens, when O’Connor started at hooker.
Leeming was nowhere to be seen the following week when the Rhinos beat Wakefield and, by the time they travelled to Castleford for last Thursday’s televised derby, it was clear that moves were being made for him to depart Headingley.
With O’Connor now established as Leeds’ first-choice number nine, Corey Johnson also highly rated and promising youngster Bailey Aldridge having trained with the first-team in pre-season, Leeming’s wishes for a release look set to be granted.
At 27, Leeming needs more regular game time and clearly feel he deserves it. His abrupt departure, though, would be a sad end to a Leeds career which could certainly not be described as unsuccessful.
Leeming will have suitors on both sides of the world and it will be fascinating to see where he ends up. But the fact that Leeds are willing to allow him to depart says everything about the trust that Smith has in 21-year-old O’Connor.
The latest House of League is out now. Matthew Shaw is joined by a variety of guests to discuss Kruise Leeming's shock Leeds Rhinos exit, Wakefield Trinity's pitch saga and more. You can listen to the full show below or alternatively subscribe on Spotify, Amazon Music or Apple Music.
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