Leeds Rhinos 'down on troops' but coach confident in players, boosted by good times v Catalans Dragons

Rhinos’ previous appearance at Stade Gilbert Brutus ended in a disastrous 61-0 defeat last September, but they have also won twice there in Smith’s two years as coach. One of his best wins came when 12-man Leeds rallied from 28-6 down to triumph 36-32 after extra-time in July, 2022 and they achieved a shock 20-10 victory there in that season’s play-offs.

Like last year, Rhinos have travelled to France with an injury-hit side which is missing eight players who have featured in the first team this term. It is a tough challenge, but Smith insisted lessons have been learned from past trips to Perpignan.

“As a coach I never forget the defeats and the wins often get forgotten about a lot easier,” Smith said. “But all those experiences shape you and if you are not prepared to go through some of that heartache, you shouldn’t be in the job.

“It is inevitable at some stage in your coaching and playing career things are going to go the wrong way for you. It’s really about what you do about it.”

Smith added: “Almost all of the players who were on [last year’s] trip are still with us. The time they spent together post-game was really impressive. We got delayed on our way home, we had a lot of sponsors with us as well and we spent a lot of time together, waiting around in airports.

“It turned out to be a really positive day after the match and we got a great response [the following week, when they beat Castleford Tigers 46-0] to finish the season last year. There’s some gain to be made out of that disappointment we suffered last year.

“I equally remember some of the huge upside experiences I’ve had down there as well, with a play-off victory and a huge come from behind win as well. That’s sport, you ride the rollercoaster a bit, but certainly I haven’t forgotten.”

Catalans began Betfred Super League round 11 in fifth place, just two points ahead of Leeds who beat them, with a weakened side, 18-10 at AMT Headingley in March. “They have been super-consistent with their intent and their effort and turning up to take it to the opposition,” Smith said of Saturday’s hosts.

“They had a bunch of changes in the off-season, they lost a bit of their experienced spine, but their attitude and ethic towards competition and battle doesn’t seem to have changed. We experienced that in round three; we had a really tough, hard game which was a good result that day, but it was a close game which could have gone either way and we expect more of that.

“We are going there to give our best account and we know the competition is very close. On a given day if you put a good performance in, you have a good chance of winning. That’s the opportunity.”

Most of Rhinos’ matches this year have been played in cold, wet and blustery conditions, but the forecast for Perpignan tomorrow is dry and sunny, with a temperature of 23 degrees when the game kicks-off at 6.30pm local time. “Everyone understands how hard it is to go there against a strong team in different conditions, or not ones you’ve practised in this year,” Smith admitted.

“That will be a new thing, but we have done a bunch of training in hot, sweaty rooms to try and replicate it as best we can. We know it is going to be tough, but it is an opportunity we are excited for and a chance to really take it to a top team who have been consistent for a long period of time.”

Rhinos have a break next weekend - when the Challenge Cup semi-finals will be played - and return to action at St Helens on Friday, May 24. The next two games could indicate whether they are genuine contenders, but the coach insisted: “Saturday will tell us where we are this weekend with the players we have available.

“We are down on troops, but we’ve got full confidence in the ability of the team to come together and give a good account of ourselves. Then we’ll take a few days to freshen up and relax and we’ll worry about the next game after that.”