Shona Hoyle says…
I’M going to put ourselves there (as title favourites).
We’ve got a lot of youth coming through that are exciting and full of energy. Then you’ve got the knowledge and the experience around them like myself, Amy (Hardcastle) and Grace Field, with Keara Bennett and Caitlin Beevers then coming back from injury. They are very exciting players.
We want to win everything. If you don’t have those kinds of aspirations, you need to question yourself and your integrity. We’ve worked a lot on the values at Leeds – what do we want from each other on gamedays and in training? I feel we’re definitely heading in the right direction.
We’re ready to go out and show Super League what we can do. Leeds got to everything (last year), they just didn’t come away with silverware. It’s hard to get there and not win.
One to watch
CAITLIN Casey may have earned most of the plaudits last season, but fullback RUBY ENRIGHT also stepped up to the plate and proved a solid force in the Rhinos back division.
After marking her first team debut with two tries against Leigh Leopards in the Challenge Cup quarter final in June, Enright went on to feature five time in Super League competition and was the starting fullback at Wembley.
She has already shown just how good she can be in the opening two Challenge Cups games, and she’ll be hoping that forms continues in the league.
Pundit’s view with Danika Priim
THE Rhinos certainly made a statement in the off-season with a number of signings – several of which are household names.
Shona Hoyle is back on Yorkshire soil after a spell at St Helens, while Grace Field and Liv Whitehead have both joined from reigning champions York Valkyrie – and these are just the start.
Coach Lois Forsell was left hurt last season without any silverware but did it tough losing a few players to injury. The 2024 season will start off similarly with superstar Caitlin Beevers out for the first couple of months following a shoulder reconstruction, Woman of Steel nominee Keara Bennett also missing following ankle surgery and speedy second row Elle Frain expected to miss the whole year out with an ACL injury.
With seven players named in the England squad and a further six named in the Knights squad, Leeds clearly have plenty of strength in depth, which could be their saving grace.
2024 squad
1 Ruby Enright, 2 Sophie Robinson, 3 Caitlin Beevers, 4 Amy Hardcastle, 5 Sophie Nuttall, 6 Hanna Butcher, 7 Caitlin Casey, 8 Zoe Hornby, 9 Keara Bennett, 10 Izzy Northrop, 11 Shona Hoyle, 12 Bella Sykes, 13 Bethan Dainto, 14 Tara Moxon, 15 Jasmine Cudjoe, 16 Beth Lockwood, 17 Lucy Murray, 18 Liv Whitehead, 19 Grace Field, 20 Kaiya Glynn, 21 Evie Cousins, 22 Jenna Greening, 23 Elychia Watson, 24 Beth MacMillan, 25 Ella Donnelly, 26 Shannon Lacey, 27 Mayzi Carter, 28 Orla McCallion, 29 Elle Frain.
Rugby League World predicts: 1st
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 495 (April 2024)
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