Jamie Jones-Buchanan believes the current Leeds Rhinos squad must learn to enjoy being at war on the rugby field ahead of a daunting clash with St Helens. The Rhinos welcome the back-to-back-to-back champions on Friday in a contest that many will expect the Saints to win after Leeds' terrible start to the season.
Following defeat to Castleford Tigers last week, the interim head coach admitted his side did not deal with adversity well enough and needed more resolve. That will be all to true on Friday as they take on a side that Jones-Buchanan believes will go down as one of the greatest in Super League history.
But he has called on his squad to take heart from Josh Warrington's victory at the weekend, the Leeds Rhinos fan who regained his IBF Featherweight Championship over the weekend.
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"Last week I reviewed the game and watched Josh Warrington win back his IBF title at the arena," he said. "Just watching and hearing what it sounds like when Leeds is doing well. He's the epitome of what Leeds is about for me, hard-working, consistent, disciplined, humble and it was great to hear the city get behind him again. I've seen it plenty of times here at Headingley and that's what we want.
"Leeds has always been united in sports but going back to that fight I think he finished it with a broken jaw, that's winning to me. I've seen lots of players finish games with broken limbs and torn muscles and fractured bones and come off happy that they've been at war. We've got to learn to go to war and come out the end of it with smiles on our faces."
Discussing the opposition they will face on Friday, Jones-Buchanan admitted he would be intrigued to see how the Golden Generation would have fared against them.
"I'd certainly love to lift them up and put them in the noughties around that 2006, 2007 or 2008 era," he said.
"The best team I ever played against was that 2006 St Helens team, they were phenomenal. You'd go there and know exactly what they were going to do but you were powerless to do anything about it.
"I have a joke about Longy (Sean Long) about being at Knowsley Road and they played that song, Doctor Alban, Hallelujah, I loved that song. But I came to hate it because you'd go to St Helens and be 18-0 down after eight minutes.
"They were so quick and no matter how fit you were, they'd blow you away. But we just seemed to always be able to get them at the back end of the season and get our runs right.
"I would argue, and this isn't to underplay the current Saints team of today, but there were other formidable teams in the league. Bradford, Wigan, Leeds had a good team back then, Warrington would throw something unorthodox at you. You have this tier at the minute where St Helens are above the general tier of Super League.
"It's hard to measure like for like but without doubt, history is judged on the medals in your cabinet and the names on the trophy and they've had their name on it the last three years and have deserved it so good on them."
