Comment: Why Leeds Rhinos should be disappointed but excited after Grand Final setback

There’d be something wrong with any team feeling pleased about themselves following a Grand Final defeat, but equally, everyone associated with Rhinos should be encouraged by what might be around the corner.

Since their previous championship win, in 2017, Leeds have been in transition from the golden generation to a new era.

It hasn’t been handled particularly well and some poor decisions were made, but the last five months have provided signs of a bright future.

There have been reasons for Leeds to feel positive at the end of the past few seasons, without them being able to kick on. However, Rhinos now have an ambitious, talented and forward-thinking coach, in charge of a talented group of players whose best days lie ahead.

Leeds lost at Old Trafford because St Helens are a better team. There’s no shame in their defeat; they could have played better, but it wasn’t a bad performance, the margin was respectable and experience gained will prove invaluable in the future.

Realistically, having gone from 11th in the table to fifth and then won at two teams above them in the play-offs, Rhinos have done much better than anyone could have hoped for even a month or two ago.

Injuries - the concussion which ruled Aidan Sezer out of the final was typical - and a string of suspensions, some merited, others not, haven’t helped.

But it’s clear the side beaten by Saints was very different to the one on show before coach Rohan Smith took charge in May, in attitude if not personnel.

There’s still some serious work to be done, which Smith will get an opportunity to focus on during pre-season, but Leeds look like a team now, rather than a bunch of talented but under-performing individuals.

Too quick to let their heads drop early in the campaign, they finished the year as a resilient outfit, able to soak up pressure and counter-punch.

That didn’t happen, other than briefly, at Old Trafford, but the play-off wins away to Catalans Dragons and Wigan Warriors showed what Rhinos are capable of.

Saints were the only top-flight team Leeds didn’t beat this year and two big victories over the second-best side, Wigan, was highly encouraging.

Rhinos have a core of young players, the likes of Jarriod O’Connor, Morgan Gannon, Liam Tindall and Sam Walters, with massive potential. Even Cameron Smith, with a century of senior appearances under his belt, is only 23 and most of the senior men have gone up a gear under Smith.

He is a coach prepared to give youngsters a chance; who thinks outside the box, isn’t afraid to make risky decisions and has proved he can fix things from week to week.

Old problems remain. Rhinos, though Tom Holroyd will effectively be a new addition next year, still lack a big man in the middle and mistakes and penalties prove costly at times, for example in the Grand Final.

But their rate of improvement over the second half of the season has been staggering and there’s a feel-good factor back at the club.

Expectations will be higher next year, particularly on Smith who will be working with a new backroom staff, but the 2023 campaign promises to be an exciting ride.