IT’S fair to say that things haven’t exactly gone the way that Rohan Smith would have liked at the Leeds Rhinos in 2023 and now 2024.
After finishing outside the Super League play-offs last season, a hefty recruitment drive saw the likes of Brodie Croft and Andy Ackers join the Headingley outfit, with a number of people tipping the Rhinos for glory in 2024.
However, that has been far from forthcoming, with Leeds currently sitting seventh in the Super League table with seven wins from 13 games.
Along the way, dismal results to Catalans Dragons and St Helens have ramped up the pressure on Smith, with chief executive Gary Hetherington recently announcing that a new sporting director would be appointed at the West Yorkshire going forward.
That has led to some speculation that Smith could be forced out of Headingley. However, the ex-Norths Devils boss insists that pressure is part of the game.
“I’ve commented about this a lot over the last few years, even before I got here (at Leeds),” Smith said.
“I feel pressure, I understand pressure – I’ve only been around coaching my whole so I get it and I don’t feel any more or less than normal.
“I understand the magnitude of this club and what it means to people and they are disappointed with some of the performances or parts of the game in particular rather than a whole game.
“I feel the pain and frustration that other people do and no one takes a loss harder than me sometimes but I can hide it better or process it in a different way to some people.
“The losses are taken extremely hard and we are working hard to get better.”
Click here to get the digital edition of League Express
Click here to subscribe to the print edition of League Express
League Express is also widely available from local newsagents across the north of England.
