CASTLEFORD TIGERS star Liam Horne has explained his love for Leeds Rhinos head coach Rohan Smith.
The pair got to know each other well when they were at Queensland Cup side Norths Devils, winning consecutive Grand Finals before Smith went to Leeds Rhinos midway through the 2022 Super League season.
Smith signed a three-and-a-half year deal with the Headingley outfit whilst Horne joined his former boss in the UK earlier this year, joining the Tigers towards the back end of the 2023 season.
For the 26-year-old Papua New Guinea international, Smith is a coach that he very much looks up to.
“I wouldn’t be over here if it wasn’t for that bloke. Ever since he came to Norths, he didn’t just change the club, he changed a lot of people’s lives,” Horne said on the Walkers Only podcast.
“I remember the first conversation we had, I went into his office and I was one of the first in there. We had a chat and he asked me what I want to do and I said ‘be a rugby player, but how do I get there?’
“He told me self-belief, if you truly believe in yourself, you can achieve anything and that stuck with me throughout my career.
“I’ve always believed in myself and believed I can beat that other guy on the field or be faster than him. I was going to work harder than everyone else and it made the player I am today.
“We won back-to-back comps and he was a big part of that. He was always trying to bring the best out of us, on and off the field.
“He encouraged us to read books and encouraged us to be big on self-development and becoming good human beings. I love that guy, he is awesome.”
Click here to purchase a digital edition of League Express.
Click here to purchase an online edition of League Express through pocketmags.com.
League Express is widely available from local newsagents across the north of England.
