Cameron Smith says Leeds Rhinos’ famous comeback win over Catalans Dragons has reinforced the belief that they can compete with Super League’s best teams. Rohan Smith’s men have made a mixed start to the season, winning three and losing three to sit seventh in the table ahead of Friday’s trip to Hull Kingston Rovers.
But they beat defending champions St Helens on their own turf and engineered a sensational 32-22 comeback win over Catalans at Headingley last Saturday. Loose forward Smith told Leeds Live: “The thing is we’re not lacking any confidence going into games.
“Even though we were really scrappy the week before [at Castleford], there was still huge belief within ourselves. We know we’ve got tonnes of talent in the squad, so all we need to do is be on the same page and we can score points like we did on Saturday. You’ve got to step up and do it against the top teams and we think we’re a top team. If we can keep knocking these big teams over then I believe we can be up there at the end of the year.”
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Reflecting on last weekend’s match which saw Leeds trail 22-8 at half-time, homegrown talent Smith added: “What was it like to play in? Pretty crazy. Things went against us in the first half, but it was important that we didn’t go into our shells and kept chancing our arm. We backed ourselves and got the rewards.”
Smith has played for England Knights and is dreaming of a first senior call-up. The Headingley academy graduate said: “Of course I’d love to make the step up and play for England.
“That’s definitely something I want to achieve in my career, but I’m just enjoying my role and trying to get better with every game. I will keep doing my job for the team and let everything else take care of itself.”
Another Leeds star who appears set for a first England cap sooner rather than later is Harry Newman. The centre was sinbinned against Catalans but also scored twice and has vowed to curb his disciplinary problems.
Smith said of his team-mate: “That’s how Harry plays the game and he’s an exceptional player. Maybe sometimes you’ve got to find the balance and know when he’s going slightly over the edge so he can rein himself in a bit. But the boys want him to be like that because he brings so much passion, energy and he’s really athletic.
“We need him to keep performing and scoring tries like he did on Saturday because he can beat defenders, offload and do anything really. He’s got the potential to be one of the best players in Super League. It’s important we keep him on the field so he can do what he does best.”
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