Leeds Rhinos vs St Helens preview

If things couldn’t get any harder for Jamie Jones-Buchanan, his first league game of the season see’s him face off against a St Helens team that have run rampant in the first 6 games of the season. They come to Headingley with the opposite record to Leeds, winning 5 and losing just one of their last 6 games.

So far this season, St Helens have been far superior to any other super league outfit in both defence and attack. In their first five games they didn’t concede more than 10 points and scored at least 20 in every game. Most impressively they kept  a strong Warrington tryless and conceded a solitary penalty in a 28-2 win. A small glimmer of hope for the Rhinos came in the saints last league game when they were shocked 22-20 by bottom side Toulouse over in France. In the game they were still able to score their requisite 20 points however on the day Toulouse were inspired and managed to come back from 20-12 down to win and overhaul the champions.

Looking back at the previous season, Leeds played St Helens once in the league and once in the playoffs and were beaten convincingly both times. The first game just before the end of the season saw St Helens put 40 points on a Leeds team that clearly had an eye on the next week's game against Hull KR which they subsequently won to secure their playoff spot. In the play off semi final St Helens once again were far too good for a lacklustre Leeds team, winning 36-8 on the night. What was characteristic of these games last year and which has subsequently been a key theme of this season is the ease in which teams and especially St Helens were able to score tries against us. Over the course of the two games St Helens scored tries right across the park from tries out on the wings to forwards barging their way over.

In the team news Saints have been able to recall a number of key players in Alex Walmsely and Morgan Knowles as well as captain James Roby, who is set to make his 500th first team appearance for the red V. Interim head coach Jamie Jones-Buchanan has named an almost unchanged 21 man squad from the cup defeat to Castleford Tigers. The one change been 

Max Simpson replaces Brad Dwyer after he picked up a one match ban. JJB is also without Zane Tetevano who is serving the last of his two game ban and winger David Fusitu’a who is still injured.

It’s hard to pick out within this St Helens team one player that really stands above the rest in what could quite possibly be the strongest super league squad ever assembled. What Leeds fans should be most concerned about is the St Helens forward pack. In the last two games the Leeds forwards have been rolled down the pitch by their opposite numbers and in this game it is hard to see anything different happening. Alex Walmsley being back in the side for St Helens sees the premier front rower of the competition bolster an already impressive forward pack. Leeds in 2021 repeatedly struggled to contain the former Batley Bulldog as he made a number of clean line breaks including one that set up a try for Tommy Makinson.

Friday night also sees the return of cult hero Konrad Hurrell to Headingley following his off-season move across the pennines. Expected to be a bit part player for the champions, Koni has played in 5 games this season thanks to injuries to a number of the St Helens outside backs. It will be interesting to see how Hurrell is received by the home fans, you would expect an initially warm welcome to sour slightly if the score gets out of hand.

It’s safe to say not many Rhinos fans are heading into this game expecting to see a win for the team in blue and amber however this is a perfect opportunity to show the fight that has been missing since the start of the season. If Leeds have any chance of winning they need to front up in defence and repel the most potent attack in super league. This goes for not just the forward but also the outside backs. Jonny Lomax, Lewis Dodd and Jack Welsby are always looking to create space on the edges for their wingers and centres which means that it’s vital that the backs make the correct reads to stifle these attacks.

As much as I would love to say that I can see a Leeds win, it is hard to see anything but a comfortable win for St Helens. I believe that they will win 30-10 with Leeds putting up a good fight before leaking tries in the final 10 minutes.