2016 Leeds Rhinos Season Preview
League Position: 1st
Play-Offs: Grand Final Winners
Challenge Cup: Winners
Well what can you say about the Rhinos 2015. Treble winners was the perfect way to sign off for two legends of the club and the game in Kevin Sinfield and Jamie Peacock. The Rhinos completed the first part of the treble with an outstanding 50-0 victory over Hull KR in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley. Tom Briscoe becoming the first man to score five tries in the final. They almost lost the League Leaders Shield and the helicopter was on its way to Wigan. That was until Ryan Hall collected a Danny McGuire chip over the top and scored after the hooter to secure victory on the night and the league leaders shield. The drama continued as tight semi final victory over St Helens at Headingley and then Josh Walters secured victory in the Grand Final in front of 73,512 as the treble was confirmed against Wigan.
2016 opening fixtures
Warrington (H)
Widnes (A)
North Queensland Cowboys (H) ( World Club Challenge)
Catalans (A)
Huddersfield (H)
2016 signings
Anthony Mullally – Huddersfield Giants
Keith Galloway – West Tigers
Jordan Baldwinson – Featherstone Rovers
Beau Falloon – Gold Coast Titans
Brett Ferres – Huddersfield Giants
Brett Ferres is the most controversial transfer of pre-season as he left Huddersfield under a cloud of personal problems and affairs. He will see the move to Rhinos as a new start and hoping he can back to showing everyone what he does best which is playing rugby and after a successful four nations campaign will be looking to carry that form in to the defense of the Rhinos Challenge cup and Super League titles.
2016 losses
Jamie Peacock – Retired
Kevin Sinfield – Yorkshire Carnegie RU
Kylie Leuluai – Retired
Thomas Minns – Hull KR
Paul Aiton – Catalans Dragons
Mason Tonks – Doncaster
George Milton – Doncaster
Chris Clarkson – Hull KR
Alex Foster – London Broncos
James Duckworth – Hunslet Hawks
Elliott Minchella – Sheffield Eagles
Robbie Ward – Sunshine Coast Falcons
Rob Mulhern – Hull KR
Luke Briscoe – Released
I can’t pick between Jamie Peacock and Kevin Sinfield as the biggest loss for the Rhinos. Both are club legends having won everything they can in the domestic game for Leeds and giving 110% on the field. Both will be huge losses for the 2016 season and beyond.
2016 prediction
It will be very interesting to see how Leeds step up without Peacock and Sinfield. The Rhinos have signed well to try and replace the club legends but whether these will gel in time for them to challenge for all three trophies again will be the most interesting factor. Stevie Ward will have big roles to fill as he takes the number 13 jersey off Sinfield and a lot will be expected off the youngster. The Rhinos should finish second in the league but once the play-offs come along they just step up and could very easily become Grand Final winners once again.
