Exclusive: Peacock primed and ready for his 'best season'

LEEDS RHINOS coach Brian McClennan has predicted re-vitalised England captain Jamie Peacock is about to embark on the season of his life.

Due to their imminent World Club Challenge commitments, Leeds opened up in the snow against Crusaders a week ago when prop Peacock was 'rested' but the Engage Super League campaign begins in earnest this evening and he returns to the champions' line-up against Castleford Tigers.

It is unusual for the veteran front-row ever to be absent from the Rhinos' side but McClennan revealed it was part of a structured plan to get Peacock in prime condition for 2010 and, especially, their date with NRL premiers Melbourne Storm on February 28.

He believes the results will be astounding.

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"I think JP has still got his best football ahead of him," said McClennan, bolstering the decision of bookmakers who make the 33-year-old their favourite to win Man of Steel, an honour he last received in 2003.

"He's flying along and looks tremendous.

"He will have a terrific year and the year after he'll do the same.

"We've been able to give JP an extended pre-season and he hasn't had one of those for a long time.

"The benefits of that I'm sure will be seen."

Peacock, whose contract with Leeds runs until the end of next year, has not played a single match since England's Four Nations final defeat against Australia on November 14, sitting out all of their pre-season itinerary.

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A long-time campaigner for fewer games in Super League in order to boost England's chances of success, Peacock will certainly benefit from the enforced lay-off.

The former Bradford Bulls captain, who has followed a host of silverware in his time at Odsal with three Grand Final wins for hometown Leeds, shows no sign of easing up.

McClennan added: "JP's always had a great attitude, is a very determined man and is committed to everything that he sets his mind to.

"He's 100 per cent and that's always been the same but now – physically – he looks way better at this stage than last year or even the year before.

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"I'm really looking forward to seeing him hitting his first game of 2010.

"He's not even contemplating (retiring); JP will be the one who decides how long he goes on."

Castleford could feel his full force as he returns this evening but McClennan is not expecting a repeat of the 76-12 rout they inflicted on their West Yorkshire rivals the previous time they met at Headingley last August.

"The final 17 minutes of that game we got into what they term in sport as the 'zone'," recalled the New Zealander.

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"I don't think I've ever seen many teams get into that type of rhythm. We had the ball that whole 17 minutes and just scored tries or got repeat sets. The players were absolutely clinical.

"Castleford weren't at their top defensively but they weren't that bad either. The players just played some really good football. It doesn't often happen."

Leeds eventually eased to a 34-6 win over the new-look Crusaders in Wrexham but McClennan envisages more of a challenge from a Castleford side that upset the odds by reaching last season's play-offs.

"Our defence will be tested far more," he said.

"It wasn't so hard to defend last week because Crusaders haven't got their cohesion yet; they'd only been together a few weeks.

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"Castleford have been together for a while and will throw a lot at us. They are an exciting side to watch; Michael Shenton is a special player, Brent Sherwin is very crafty and Rangi Chase is a box of tricks.

"It makes for an intriguing game."

England will play two matches in New Zealand in the 2010 Four Nations series, it was confirmed yesterday.

The seven-match tournament is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, with Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium handed the final on November 13.

The competition will get under way in Wellington on Saturday, October 23, with England taking on the Kiwis at the Westpac Stadium.

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Melbourne will be the venue for the Australia-England encounter on Sunday, October 31, on the eve of the Spring Racing Carnival headed by the Melbourne Cup, and England will return to New Zealand to play newcomers Papua New Guinea in Auckland.

That match at a new-look 50,000-capacity Eden Park on November 6 will be part of a double-header, with defending champions Australia taking on New Zealand, and there are also games in Rotorua and Parramatta.

Organisers are hoping to set a new crowd record at Eden Park, which has been re-developed to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup, topping the 47,363 for the 1988 World Cup final at the same ground.

Four Nations schedule

Oct 23: NZ v England, Wellington.

Oct 24: Australia v Papua New Guinea, Parramatta.

Oct 30: NZ v Papua New Guinea, Rotorua.

Oct 31: Australia v England, Melbourne (venue tbc).

Nov 6: England v Papua New Guinea, Auckland.

Nov 6: NZ v Australia, Auckland.

Nov 13: Final, Brisbane.