Make or break time for Leeds Rhinos' season: latest talking points ahead of Wigan Warriors double-header

Rhinos are eighth in the table, two points outside the top-six, but face second-placed Wigan Warriors and defending champions St Helens in their next two Betfred Super League matches.

In between those, they meet Wigan again in a BBC televised Challenge Cup sixth round tie, so the next few weeks are crucial. Here’s five talking points.

1: Rhinos’ games so far this season have tended to follow a similar pattern: go behind early on, trail at the break, improve in the second half.

On several occasions, that improvement has been good enough to collect the win, but in the past two matches, against Leigh Leopards and Salford Red Devils, Leeds haven’t been able to kick on after getting back into the contest on the stroke of half-time. That’s a worrying development, particularly if Rhinos continue to start poorly.

They are becoming a frustrating side to watch; capable of some exhilarating rugby, but too often letting themselves down with unforced errors. Over the past two games, the latter have been the defining factor.

2: Penalties for dissent are another self-inflicted wound. Players need to leave the moaning - whether justified or not - to the fans, because there’s only going to be one winner in that type of discussion.

Perhaps Salford coach Paul Rowley was joking when he said he side had been on the wrong end of some tough calls in last week’s match.

The 10-3 penalties against Leeds - 6-0 after half-time - helped keep Salford at arm’s length and that was after an adverse 6-2 count at Leigh in the previous game, so it’s an obvious area Leeds need to improve and another argument in favour of a full-time captain.

3: The speed of the ruck in the Salford game caused frustration on the field and terraces and is something the RFL needs to address.

Conceding set restarts early in the tackle count - allowing the defending team to get organised without conceding any ground - has become a tactic and is making the game an ugly spectacle.

Rugby league coaches are smart people and if they spot a loophole they’ll exploit it until it’s closed.

A simple way to eliminate it would be for offences on tackles one, two or three - or if it happens more than once in a set or within 10 metres of the attacking team’s line - to be penalised.

4: Jack Sinfield’s selection at scrum-half against Salford, replacing the injured Aidan Sezer, was a popular choice among fans.

Sinfield is an exciting prospect who has been going well in the lower grades and earned his opportunity, though a head knock will keep him out of this week’s game.

The youngster has made six first team appearances, but Rhinos are right to take the cautious approach.

It isn’t a case of Sinfield not being given a chance; though he has the necessary temperament and skill, he is 18, still developing physically and plays in a pivotal role.

It’s easier to bring young players into a team that’s going well, but sometimes counter-productive if they aren’t.

The key for Sinfield is to make the most of his opportunities when they do come, keep learning and improving and if he does that, look for him making a real breakthrough in the 2025 campaign.

5: Half-back may well be a position where Rhinos look to recruit between now and the start of the 2024 season - and if so, that won’t be a snub to Sinfield.

Sezer and stand-off Blake Austin are both out of contract in November, along with fellow quota players David Fusitu’a and Zane Tetevano, plus James Bentley, Sam Walters, Liam Tindall and James Donaldson.

Coach Rohan Smith said last week: “Some of our recruitment has already been done - it will emerge as the seasons progress.”

Use of the plural suggests he is talking about players in the NRL, though it would also apply to the Betfred Championship.

With eight players coming off contract, recruitment and retention is vital for Rhinos. It’s important they improve the squad rather than just replace whoever’s leaving - which hasn’t always been the case in recent years.

Obviously it is also at least partly dependent on what players in their final year plan to do next, but the requirements at this stage are probably a centre/winger, at least one half and two forwards.