LEEDS RHINOS forward Lucy Murray believes the Challenge Cup draw offers her side the perfect introduction to the season ahead.
The Rhinos travel to Leigh on Saturday, April 4, before completing their Group B fixtures by hosting London Broncos on Sunday, April 19.
They could then face a quarter and semi-final before the league campaign starts away to Wigan on Saturday, May 16.
Having not won any silverware since the 2022 Grand Final, Leeds will be looking to end that run in 2026.
The Challenge Cup, which they last won in 2019, will offer the first chance to do that.
“For us, with a few girls coming back from injuries, it is a good way to get started,” said 22-year-old Murray.
“I’ve not played London before so I’m not sure how that game will go, but we have faced Leigh before so we know what they can do. They are a really competitive team and they have some really good players in their squad.
“Those games as well will be good for the younger girls to build their confidence up. You go through pre-season, but nothing quite prepares you for first couple of games, which tend to shock everyone. So these are probably the perfect way to build up to a big season.
“You never want to go into the first game, especially against one of the top four, and ruin your confidence straight away. That’s even more so this year when everyone is so on edge and wanting to do so well because of the World Cup at the end of the year.
“It feels like a long time since we’ve brought any trophies home and it’s time we started doing that again. We’ve always all worked really hard for it, but now it’s about what we can do to take it to next level.
“That’s been a big part of what we’ve done in pre-season, but it still comes down to who does the most to get it. And we want that to be us.”