Leeds Rhinos and old adversaries St Helens clash at Old Trafford in Saturday’s mouthwatering Super League title decider. Both clubs have won a joint-record eight Grand Finals and now defending champions Saints are seeking to clinch an unprecedented fourth consecutive win in the end-of-season showdown.
Here, Leeds Live assesses the numerous sub-plots surrounding one of the most eagerly-anticipated Grand Finals in Super League history as the Rhinos bid to take the spoils.
Leeds Rhinos aiming for a fairytale of their own
Much is being made of St Helens’ bid to win a fourth successive Grand Final, and rightly so, because it would make them the greatest side in Super League history. Officially. Undeniably. A Leeds victory, though, would not be much less of an epic story.
Read more: St Helens' quest for immortality takes its most crucial stop at Old Trafford
From a bunch of no-hopers tipped for a fight with relegation to a title decider at the Theatre of Dreams, the Rhinos’ transformation under Rohan Smith has been the stuff of fairytales. The laconic Aussie has breathed new life into Headingley and made playing rugby league fun again for his players. But this is the biggest test of the season and toppling Kristian Woolf’s men will take some doing.
Half-back conundrum – who plays alongside Blake Austin?
The absence of Aidan Sezer is a major blow to Leeds, but being without one of their first-choice half-backs is not new. Sezer, and Austin to a lesser extent, have both spent time on the sidelines in 2022. Head coach Smith, to his credit, has never moaned about the players who are not available but merely focused on those who are.
Richie Myler might be favourite to fill in alongside Austin, which could see Zak Hardaker dropping in at full-back and Rhyse Martin returning to play in the centres alongside Liam Sutcliffe. Kruise Leeming and even Cam Smith, who have impressed in the halves at times this term, could also play alongside Austin. The return of Ash Handley on Leeds’ left flank, meanwhile, would also be a big boost.
Goal-line defence will be vital
What stood out during Leeds’ play-off semi-final win at Wigan last weekend was the sheer desire to protect their line. To go to the DW Stadium and win against a fired-up Warriors side – and win well – is not easy. It was not pretty at times either as the Rhinos were forced to dig deep to keep their hosts at bay.
That kind of collective desire will be needed in spades against St Helens at Old Trafford. But as the past two weeks have showed, Leeds are united and willing to fight for each other. Keeping St Helens out will be a mountainous task, but the Rhinos need to keep it as tight as possible and then take the chances that come their way. Easier said than done, of course, but they have already proved they are capable of doing it.
Leeds Rhinos are back on the map and emotional farewells
It has been five years since the men from Headingley were last crowned Super League champions. Not much has gone right since that 2017 success over Castleford Tigers. True, there was a Challenge Cup final win behind closed doors at the height of Covid in 2020 and that should never be forgotten.
But a club with Leeds’ history, prestige, fanbase and stadium needs to be competing for the Super League title every year. Nothing less will do. Since Smith arrived, he has worked wonders and made the club a respected force again. Now they need to finish the job by winning this weekend, but regardless of the result, Leeds Rhinos are back on the map again.With plenty of homegrown talent in the side and more pushing through, the future looks bright again at Headingley.
Moving on to pastures new after the game will be the likes of Sutcliffe, Brad Dwyer, Tom Briscoe, Muizz Mustapha plus assistant coach Sean Long and backroom stalwart Jason Davidson. Emotions will be running high in the dressing room, on the pitch and in the stands. Bring it on.
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