Leeds Rhinos have grown accustomed to writing some amazing stories en-route to Old Trafford down the years, but their 2022 campaign threatened to top the lot. It was a white-knuckle ride that had almost everything – a head coach quitting after six games, a club legend stepping in at a time of crisis, relegation fears and an unheralded Aussie arriving to steer the team to the Grand Final.
All that was missing was a fairytale finish as Rohan Smith’s side lost to all-conquering St Helens last Saturday. Gary Hetherington, the Rhinos’ long-serving chief executive who has seen it all during his 26 years in charge, believes the past season was unparalleled for its ups and downs.
“We’ve had a lot of remarkable journeys to the Grand Final over the years, but I think this season is the most remarkable,” he told Leeds Live. “Much was made of us winning it twice from fifth in 2011 and 2012, but had we managed to emerge victorious this year then we would have actually done it from 11th – because that’s where we were when Rohan Smith arrived midway through the season.
