There are few people who quite have an understanding of just what kind of coach Rohan Smith is like one of the first men that will be waiting to meet him at Leeds Rhinos' training ground later this week. Smith's time as head coach of Bradford Bulls ultimately didn't work out amidst trying circumstances, with the club ultimately liquidated at the end of Smith's first season in charge after they finished 5th in the Championship with mounting financial difficulties.
But five years on, Smith is not only back in West Yorkshire, but he is back working closely with a man who personally vouched for his credentials as Richard Agar's successor. Chev Walker was a member of Smith's coaching staff at Bradford and now an integral part of Leeds' long-term future as the club's head of academy, Walker is excited to see what kind of mark Smith can leave on a group of talented young players at Headingley.
"I remember being sat in a review at Bradford and he just made me want to get my boots on and get out and play that instant," Walker tells Rugby League Live. "I'd retired by then but the last time I felt that, it was Tony Smith. He was so clear, so decisive but so enthusiastic."
