Rhyse Martin believes the Leeds Rhinos squad have got off to a good start with new coach Rohan Smith after meeting him for the first time on Thursday. The squad reported back after a break following Easter and had their first training session under Smith upon their return.
It was a positive day in the eyes of the back-rower, who said Smith spoke about all the right things as he looks to steer the Rhinos back towards being a force within Super League.
"Today has been a good day," Martin said. "He put a few new points across that he's going to want to bring in but his view on where we go is exciting and will bring the best out of us, I think he will be outstanding for us. It was a tough session to be honest, but it was a nice first day with him."
Pushed further on the points Smith made, Martin added: "I won't give too much away but there's a lot of talk about personal development, which excites me even though I'm 29 as I want to get better with my personal game. That's one of his best attributes, developing players into a team-first environment while bringing on their individual games."
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Martin knows that all too well having worked with Smith in the past. As a teenager in the Sydney Roosters system, Martin experienced Smith at the start of his coaching journey.
"I had maybe two years when he was there. I was straight out of school, 18 or 19 at that point. He was around then and he was starting his coaching career then. He was involved heavily with first grade at that point. I was under 20s but he was helping with us as well.
"From what he said today, the way he explained himself, he didn't dive too deep but it all made sense, he picked out the parts we were missing. He wasn't making it too difficult, focusing on the black and white areas with a bit on what to do in those grey areas. He does have his own spin on things, every coach has their own unique way of coaching, but based on that what he'll bring is really good and will help us moving forward in the long-term."
