Cameron Smith targets another Super League Grand Final appearance with Leeds in 2023
If there was one game that epitomized the turnaround of fortunes for Leeds Rhinos during the 2022 Betfred Super League season, then, as far as Cameron Smith is concerned, it’s last July’s impressive gold point win over Catalans Dragons.
Trailing 24-6 in the blistering heat of Perpignan and down to 12 men following Matt Prior’s red card for a high tackle, the Rhinos somehow managed to rally and send the game into overtime before Aidan Sezer showed up with the attempt that clinched a 36-32 win.
For defender Smith, it showed how far Leeds had come since the appointment of Rohan Smith as head coach two months earlier, after a dismal start to the campaign that had seen the eight-time Super League champions embroiled in the battle for the decline.
Indeed, neither the 24-year-old nor his teammates foresaw at the time that they would end the season by walking to Old Trafford to take on reigning champions St Helens in the Grand Final.
“A lot of us probably couldn’t see a way out at that point,” said Smith, who played makeshift running back during that 24-12 loss against the Saints. sky sports. “We spent more time under the sticks than we should have.
“So when Rohan came in and the transition started, we developed that belief and just knowing how to win games, even though they were very close, we could end up with the win.”
“At the beginning of the year, we were closing in and coming up short, so we were in a difficult position, but what a transformation. The main thing was to play with a smile on our face, regardless of what was going on and the noise around us.
Leeds players celebrate the golden points win over the Catalans last July
“Thank you guys, I know it’s a cliché to say, but we had to dig in and discover a lot about ourselves not just as a team but as individuals to get to the Grand Final at the end of the year.”
A sign of how the Rhinos have been doing things differently since the Australian, whose uncle Tony, who now oversees Hull FC, enjoyed a successful spell as manager at Headingley early in his career, took over is the decision not to name a full-time captain for the 2023 season.
Smith was one of the players who filled that role in games last year along with Kruise Leeming, Ash Handley and the currently injured Mikolaj Oledzki, and he believes having different voices at the helm will prove beneficial to the entire team.
“My leadership role would be that I like to organize, I like to talk to people, I’m approachable, I’m a student of the game and I really love the game,” Smith said.
I want to see myself as a leader and I want to spend as much time as I can leading people. Also, I want people to influence me in their own way, and what the team needs is what has to happen.
Cameron Smith, Leeds striker
“To me, leadership is measured by how good of a person you can be to the people around you, and in terms of on the field, it would be doing the things that people don’t want to do or what we should be doing in terms of standards. of conduction”. and being a good communicator in midfield, especially in my role.
“Then there are players in our squad who have experience and smart rugby league players who will bring their own thoughts. As long as we can all contribute I think it will work very well.”
“I want to see myself as a leader and I want to spend as much time leading people as I can. Likewise, I want people to influence me in their own way and whatever the team needs is what needs to happen.”
The Pontefract-born former Castleford Panthers junior has made over 100 appearances for the Rhinos since making his debut in 2016 and is already considered one of the team’s oldest members despite his relative youth.
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Jamie Jones-Buchanan says Leeds Rhinos head coach Rohan Smith has made all the players better and will look to continue to do so this season.
He is one of the most recent graduates of Leeds’ renowned academy, which continues to produce Super League standard players who form the backbone of the team, and Smith is certainly the off-season addition of winger Derrell Olpherts and Samoan international striker. Sam. Lisone will add to the talent of the house.
“It’s different when you go through the system,” Smith said. “You know how heavy the badge is and how prestigious it is to play for the Rhinos and to be involved with them for a number of years is an honor.
“If you look back at when Leeds have been successful in the past, they have held a core of players together.
“There’s a core of players that I’ve gotten to play with, and if we can inject a little bit of experience and quality into them like we have, we’re in for a good year and a good, successful stint with the Rhinos.”
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Despite the improbable run to the Grand Final last year, Leeds were unable to prevent St Helens from securing a fourth successive Super League title and breaking the Rhinos’ record of three consecutive Grand Final wins in the summer era.
Leeds’ quest to return to Old Trafford and take it a step further in 2023 begins in the season opener against Warrington Wolves on Thursday, live on sky sportsand Smith knows what it takes to prevent the Saints from winning again.
“The word for that is consistency,” Smith said. “If we can start the year like we did at the end of last year, I think we’ll put ourselves in a good position.
“There are a couple of individual players that have come in to influence our team, so as long as we’re all on the same page and constantly working hard on what we need to do, there’s no reason we can’t go one.” further.”
The new Super League season kicks off on Thursday 16 February when Warrington Wolves host Leeds Rhinos. Watch 66 matches live, including Magic Weekend, the play-offs and the Grand Final, on Sky Sports in 2023 and stream on NOW TV.