Video: Numbers game could bring in more tries for Leeds Rhinos' Ryan Hall

The prolific England international, who stands at six foot two inches and weighs more than 16 stone, plays his testimonial against Hull KR at Headingley tonight.

He has scored 201 tries for the West Yorkshire club since debuting in 2007, becoming one of the world’s greatest players but, of course, so nearly did not even get spotted by his hometown side.

Hall was 18 and playing for Oulton Raiders amateur side before getting his late shot.

“I missed the net for the first wave of people getting scouted going up to scholarship schemes,” he recalled.

“There was probably a number of factors why I didn’t get picked up. The team I played in – at Under 14s/15s – wasn’t in the highest league so we didn’t really get watched that much.

“But it’s all part of growing up as well; everyone does that at different times and I don’t think I physically grew up until I was 18. I was smaller than most people coming through.

“I never went home and kicked myself for missing an opportunity or tried to motivate myself to work harder to become a rugby player.

“I just got on with what I was good at at the time; I had my school academic path all ready.

“But then there was just that one occasion when Rhinos came down to watch a (Oulton) game.

“I became a late addition to their Under-18s programme that year and never looked back.”

Hall, who has won five Grand Finals and two Challenge Cups with Leeds, was all set to read maths at university before his brilliant try-scoring feats marked out a different career. However, knowing he will turn 30 later this year, he has started thinking about life after rugby.

“I’ve had a couple of opportunities; I’ve started doing an accounting course and quite like the financial advisory side of things,” said Hall. “Working with numbers was never a taught skill; I was always good at it naturally.

“I’ve had a break from it – I don’t go home and practice sums by any means – but like anything. I’ll have to get back up to speed.”

However, there’s a few more tries to be scored before then.