Rohan Smith has revealed winger Tom Briscoe has not been offered a new deal to stay at Leeds Rhinos beyond this season as talks continue over Zak Hardaker’s future. Briscoe has proved a key figure in the Rhinos’ most recent era of success, helping the club to a glorious treble in 2015 and the Super League title in 2017.
The 32-year-old former Hull FC man has won the Challenge Cup three times in the blue and amber, famously scoring a record five tries in the 2015 final win over Hull Kingston Rovers at Wembley. Briscoe is currently sidelined with an ankle injury but, while Smith expects him to play again this season, as things stand he will not be at Headingley beyond this term.
“The plan is for Tom to play again this season, but he’s still a couple of weeks away and not back in team training as yet,” said head coach Smith. "I’m not sure whether Tom has made any decision or not [on his future].
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“He hasn’t been offered a new deal at this stage, no, but it’s always a moving thing. There are a lot of balls in the air and a lot of movement behind the scenes across the league, so there is a knock-on effect at times.”
Hardaker rejoined the Rhinos earlier this season after leaving Wigan Warriors on a short-term deal to cover the remainder of the 2022 campaign. But it remains to be seen whether he will agree a contract for next season, with Smith saying: “I’ve had preliminary chats with Zak’s agent and we’ll keep the ball rolling there. There is no strict timescale and it will sort itself out as things go.”
Smith, meanwhile, said his ecruitment process for next season had been “very rigorous” as he continues to scout players from far and wide. The Aussie has been a regular at numerous Super League and Championship games since arriving in England in May to watch potential new recruits.
Batley Bulldogs full-back Luke Hooley is a player to have caught Smith’s eye and the Rhinos boss said: “I go to a few games each week other than our own. That gives me a different perspective to what you get on video, so I think it’s really important to do that.
“It’s about understanding the market, across the country and in the different competitions to try and establish what the value is. We’re limited to how much movement we can have, but that’s good because I’m happy with our roster.
“It’s a matter of tweaking and adjusting as things go, so to have an understanding of who is around and what value is placed on players has been a massive part of my role in the last couple of months.”
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