When Leeds Rhinos travel to Hull FC on Saturday for a game crucial to both clubs’ play-off hopes, the impact and indeed the future of their Australian half-backs will add intrigue to the fixture. Aidan Sezer and Blake Austin arrived at Headingley during the winter to forge a brand new partnership which encouraged hopes of a potential title challenge for Leeds.
The pair starred together for Canberra Raiders before they moved to Super League and had remained good friends since their NRL days. But the hoped-for fireworks have not materialised, for a number of reasons – largely due to a lengthy injury to Sezer and a failure of both players individually, and Leeds collectively, to hit top gear.
The Rhinos have struggled at half-back since the great Rob Burrow and Danny McGuire made their final appearances for the club in the 2017 Grand Final win over Castleford Tigers. Master craftsman McGuire grabbed a brace of tries to win the Harry Sunderland Trophy and Burrow showed his class as the legendary duo bowed out with an eighth Grand Final winners’ ring.
