2022

The Rhinos were happy to see the back of the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic as pre-season entered into full swing in January.

Regular friendly matches against Featherstone Rovers and Bradford Bulls saw the Rhinos win back-to-back matches by 30 points, with new signings Blake Austin and Aidan Sezer taking to the field against Rovers in a thrilling matchup.

The good news kept rolling as ahead of Tom Briscoe's testimonial match, the club announced that Kruise Leeming would be stepping up into the captaincy roll for the season. Having joined the Rhinos in 2020 from Huddersfield Giants, Leeming had already helped Leeds achieve cup success in the Challenge Cup during his debut season and was one of the top try scorers during the 2021 campaign. He was also the first hooker to captain the club on a permanent basis in the summer era.

To cap off the month, the Rhinos faced Hull FC in an all Super League clash to celebrate the career of Briscoe. The winger was one of seven try scorers in a 38-6 result, plus he added two conversions to round off a special result.

Due to the World Cup coming to the UK shores in October, the Rhinos got their season underway in February with an opening clash against Warrington Wolves.

The game was the first ever Super League game to be available on free to air TV, thanks to a new broadcast deal with Channel 4, and a tight affair took place. Zane Tetevano and Matt Prior cancelled out Gareth Widdop and Josh Charnley's tries to give Leeds a 12-10 lead at the break, before Ash Handley scored an early contestant for try of the season. A late surge by the Wolves in the last 15 minutes though broke Leeds hearts as the Wire, under former Leeds coach Daryl Powell, got their first points of the season.

Richard Agar's side were forced to wait longer for their first league points as Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons both defeated the Rhinos; Catalans only by the barest of margins in a low scoring 10-4 scoreline.

The start of spring proved eventful for the Rhinos on and off the pitch. An Ash Handley hat trick finally broke Leeds' duck as they overcame Wakefield Trinity 34-18. New signing David Fusitu'a got his try-scoring record underway, plus Morgan Gannon and Harry Newman also added scores against the Rhinos' Yorkshire rivals on a day when Rugby League showed their support for Ukraine, following the invasion of Russia.

Back-to-back defeats against Hull FC at Headingley and Salford at the AJ Bell saw a change of coaching staff as Richard Agar would step down from his role as head coach and club legend Jamie Jones-Buchanan would take the reigns.

There was no tougher test for the Rhinos as a Challenge Cup weekend pitting them against local rivals Castleford Tigers, who recorded a 40-16 result at Headingley.

April saw Leeds' fortunes start to turn as the search for a new coach reached its climax and a familiar face returned to wear blue and amber.

The first double header gameday saw the Rhinos' Under-18s and first team take to the field against Hull KR and St Helens. Two tries each from Toby Warren, Jack Smith and Will Gatus saw Walker's side take down the young Robins 45-12, before a thorough performance from the reigning Super League champions St Helens saw Kristian Woolf's side take away a 26-0 result.

A positive off the field that week though was that club legend Rob Burrow received his MBE at Windsor Castle for services to Rugby League and the MND community.

A week later, the first team and Academy hosted another double header that wowed the crowds. Drop goal drama from Jack Sinfield helped the Under-18s to a memorable victory over Wigan, before an even tighter affair in the Betfred Super League saw the Rhinos and Huddersfield Giants share the points in a 20-20 stalemate.

The Easter period brought a short turnaround and for Leeds' trip to Castleford, Sinfield and Max Simpson were both handed their debuts in a close two point defeat at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.

As the month came to a close, the club unveiled that Rohan Smith, the son of former Hull and Bradford coach Brian Smith and the nephew of former Leeds Head Coach Tony Smith, would take over the top job. Watch his full interview here.

Fresh after the announcement, Leeds defeated Toulouse in a must win match at Headingley (Brad Dwyer scoring twice in a 25-14 result), plus another low scoring game saw the team in blue and amber topple Hull KR 12-0 a week later.

If that wasn't enough, Zak Hardaker was unveiled as the club's newest signing for the remainder of the season. He wouldn't appear until the next month though.

Leeds Rhinos Women continued their Challenge Cup drive with a convincing 92-0 performance against Leigh Miners Rangers, before going toe to toe with York for a place in the Final. Although they stormed into a 20-12 lead at half time, a closely matched second half was only split by Courtney Winfield-Hill's penalty goal to send Leeds through.

A quiet month in May, due to the Challenge Cup semi-finals and Final taking place, saw Rohan Smith get straight to work with his first-team squad.

Despite a disappointing start to his regime against Salford (Ash Handley and Mikolaj Oledzki scoring the Rhinos' only tries in a 23-8 defeat), the team began firing against Wakefield, thanks in large to a James Bentley double.

At the start of the month, three young Rhinos (Tom Holroyd, Morgan Gannon and Liam Tindall) were awarded the chance to play for England Knights.

Leeds Rhinos Women were caught up in the Challenge Cup action as Lois Forsell's side returned to the final for the first time since their 2019 victory over Castleford. Holders St Helens proved too good at Elland Road though, claiming a tight 18-8 win to retain the Cup.

They quickly brushed off the loss by posting 12 tries in the Women's Super League opener against Huddersfield Giants, Fran Goldthorp scoring a hat trick.

June started with the club announcing a number of contract extensions to keep personnel for 2023 and beyond. Academy graduates Jarrod O'Connor and Corey Johnson extended their stays in blue and amber, alongside Blake Austin who exercised his second-year option. Back in action against Warrington, an epic 40-4 result saw the Rhinos blow Daryl Powell's side out of the water.

Huddersfield and St Helens proved too good in the Rhinos' remaining games of the month though as Smith's side sat eighth in the league table.

June brought international action as well for Leeds' men's and women's players. Mikolaj Oledzki was the Rhinos' sole representative in their 18-4 win over the Combined Nations All Stars, which included Kruise Leeming, Zane Tetevano, Rhyse Martin and Matt Prior. The Rhinos were also well represented for England Women's clashes with Wales and France; Georgia Roche, Caitlin Beevers and Fran Goldthorp combining for four of England Women?s seven tries in the 36-10 win.

Back at the Rhinos, the Women's team were well beaten 24-10 by York at the LNER Community Stadium before they faced St Helens in one of the games of the Women's Super League season. Despite Saints rallying into a 14-0 lead after 20 minutes, the Rhinos bounced back to level the score before Fran Goldthorp scored a sensational solo effort to down the reigning Super League champions.

Another massive performance from Leeds Rhinos Wheelchair saw them claim their third consecutive Challenge Cup title against Catalans Dragons in a huge matchup in Hull.

Off the field, the club inducted Stan Satterthwaite, 1968 Challenge Cup winner Mick Shoebottom, Bob Haigh and treble winner Jamie Peacock MBE into its Hall of Fame on a famous day.

The Rhinos started to run at top gear during the middle of summer, starting with another big win on the east coast.

Travelling to the MKM Stadium to face Hull FC, the match had big ramifications on the league table and the intensifying play off picture but Leeds rose to the challenge - winger Ash Handley leading a remarkable charge with five tries.

The winning run continued at Magic Weekend too as another convincing display saw Leeds beat Castleford in Newcastle for the first time ever. The match was extra special too as the Rhinos sported a new look kit, designed by legend Rob Burrow's children in aid of the MND Association and the Leeds Hospitals Charity appeal to build the Rob Burrow Centre for MND.

The good news kept coming as Rhyse Martin committed his future to the club on a new two-year contract, and the club also unveiled Justin Sangare as their first signing for 2023 (after the forward helped the Toulouse to a 20-6 win over the Rhinos the week before).

The Rhinos returned to winning ways at home against Wigan as Smith's side dominated the Warriors with six players scoring six tries. What's more, young talent James McDonnell was added to the 2023 roster too.

The best was yet to come though. Catalans posed a tough task for an understrength Rhinos side, but with the run of form, a nailbiting encounter saw the game go to extra time at 32-32. As golden point ensued, quick thinking from Aidan Sezer saw the half back duck and dive through the Catalans line to win the match for Leeds.

In August, Leeds were in a four-way fight to make it into the Play Offs. Starting the month against hopefuls Salford, a spectacular opening try from Harry Newman set the tone for a 34-14 win in front of a home crowd. They continued their form on the road too - Morgan Gannon scoring twice to cap off a result against Hull KR at Sewell Group Craven Park - before Smith's side survived a second half fightback from Warrington at Headingley.

Fans weren't short of late action either, following on from Sezer's winner of Catalans.

Huddersfield proved tricky at home once again, but unlike earlier in the season the Rhinos had the dagger to hurt the Giants - that being Blake Austin in the dying moments of regulation time. To round off the month, a young Rhinos outfit produced a spirited performance on their second visit to the South of France but Catalans Dragons proved too much for Rohan Smith?s side, winning 32-18.

In the Betfred Women's Super League, the Rhinos' title hopes went down to the wire. A heavy 82-0 drubbing of Huddersfield sent Forsell's side top of the ladder with two games left, but St Helens and York spoiled the party as the Knights secured their first silverware in the Women's competition.

Fans enjoyed a trip back to Old Trafford for the first time in five years in September as the Rhinos saw off all competition to compete in the Grand Final.

At the start of the month, whether the Rhinos would make the Play Offs was in the balance. It all came down to the final game of the regular season, which saw fellow contenders Castleford arrive at Headingley.

Despite going 8-0 down, a huge final 20 minutes saw the home side overturn the Tigers' lead, thanks to back to back tries from Kruise Leeming and Aidan Sezer in the last five minutes

The result meant Leeds would travel to France of the fourth time that season and look for their first Play Off win over Catalans since 2012. Whereas the last encounter needed extra time to split the teams, a measured display that saw the departing Liam Sutcliffe score a hat trick push the Rhinos to within one step of the final.

Five time Grand Final winners Wigan Warriors hosted the semi final for a clash between two giants of the sport. Although Liam Marshall's early try broke the deadlock, it didn't break the spirits of the packed away end of Rhinos fans, who willed their side back into the game. In the second half, Jarrod O'Connor's first try of the season was an important one to getting the visitors ahead, before a double from James Bentley and three goals from former Wigan player Zak Hardaker completed the dream of a date in Manchester.

On the Old Trafford stage, a spirited performance saw the Rhinos compete with reigning champions St Helens, but they left themselves too much to do following early tries from Saints Matty Lees and Jonathan Bennison. Captain Kruise Leeming closed the scoreline before the break, but former Rhino Konrad Hurrell and Mark Percival wrapped up the result for the Saints.

The Grand Final action didn't stop there though. Leading up to the men's Grand Final, the Women's Super League came to life as four clubs competed to lift the trophy. Lois Forsell's Rhinos came up against St Helens in a rematch of the 2021 Grand Final, but this time it would be the Rhinos that claimed victory; Sophie Robinson scoring twice in a closely fought 14-6 result.

Onto the Grand Final at the Totally Wicked Stadium and a familiar opponent York posed a threat to Leeds' Grand Final hopes. A quick start saw Caitlin Beevers cross after eight minutes but an arm-wrestle saw neither side give up any ground. Beevers was called upon again in the second half to move the Rhinos into a two score lead, but despite a late score from Sinead Peach, Leeds held on to lift their second Grand Final title in history.

Continuing the trend, the Rhinos Under-18s left it late to lift their Grand Final trophy. Having beaten Warrington at Headingley in their semi final, Chev Walker's side faced St Helens a day after the two men's teams had clashed at Old Trafford.

In a game that ebbed and flowed, late drama saw George Delaney put St Helens in the driving seat to lift the trophy with two minutes remaining. The Rhinos got lucky from the restart and quick thinking from Jack Sinfield locked the game up at 22-22 to force extra time, where Kyden Frater came up with the crucial try to secure a huge win for the young Rhinos.

The Rhinos PDRL side also needed extra time to secure their Grand Final title. Ryan Owens scored the decisive try in Golden Point to spark wild celebrations as the Rhinos came out on top over Wakefield Trinity to claim their first piece of silverware as a team.

After the rollercoaster ride of September, October brought the delayed World Cup to UK shores.

Before that tournament could begin, there was one last Grand Final to take place as the Rhinos met Halifax Panthers in the Wheelchair Grand Final. Live on Sky Sports for the first time, the Rhinos fought all the way back from 26 points down late in the first period to level up the score, only to lose out as England international Rob Hawkins capped off a five-try performance to secure the spoils for the Panthers.

The Rhinos season had one more twist too as New Zealand arrived at Headingley for a special friendly game before Michael Maguire's side started their World Cup campaign. The Kiwis proved convincing in the 74-0 win, which included a hat trick from Sebastian Kris.

The club also made history by becoming the first team in this country to financially reward its Women's players for their efforts on the field for the club. The move in 2023 is the second phase of the club?s move towards a professional women?s Rugby League team.