How kicks up the backside got Leeds Rhinos prop Mikolaj Oledzki set for Wembley

The 22-year-old, who was born in Gdansk and moved to the UK aged eight, has established himself in Richard Agar’s side this term and is set to start versus Salford Red Devils in the Coral Challenge Cup final a week on Saturday.

Academy product Oledzki, who represented England Knights in Papua New Guinea in 2018, continues to grow in confidence.

But he said: “At the end of last season, I wasn’t getting in the team as I needed to improve on things.

“That made me realise that nothing is given to you without the hard work and if you want to play regularly at the top level you have to make sure every small thing is practiced and got right.

“It’s not just the usual things on the field you need to get right.

“But with Rich’s help and the coaching staff, they have been great and shown a lot of belief in young players here, giving us those chances to prove ourselves and show what we’re capable of.

“I’m proud of where I come from and really honoured and privileged to represent that, my family and my name on such a big stage. I think I’m the first Polish player to play at Wembley. It will be the biggest game of my career.

“I’m really excited and can’t wait to hopefully get stuck in.”

Leeds must first face Warrington Wolves in Super League on Tuesday although, if possible, Agar hopes to rest the majority of his Cup final squad.

They got in their main preparation with Thursday’s 40-22 win over Hull FC, opponents who stepped in at late notice after Castleford Tigers pulled out due to a Covid outbreak.

Leeds, who have lost just once in their last seven outings, fought back from an early 10-0 deficit with 28 unanswered points but then saw spirited Hull – missing 13 players themselves – rally to 28-22.

Oledzki said: “We’re two games behind already so big credit to Hull for stepping in and giving us a game instead of Cas; it just shows teams are willing to do anything to let the season run smoothly and help everyone finish the season well. We expected a tough game. We didn’t start at our best and we had to get a kick up the backside to get going.

“But it’s a good game for us to learn from and a tough one to play in, which is good going into next Wembley.

“It wouldn’t have helped anyone if we’d won by 30 or 40: these sorts of games make us stronger.”

The robust Oledzki, who originally settled in Northamptonshire but came to Yorkshire as his dad moved closer to his brother in Harrogate, suffered a gashed head in the opening exchanges but it did not affect his performance.

“There were a few split heads with Bodene (Thompson) getting one, too, and unfortunately we got ours before the big dance,” he said.

“But we’re absolutely fine and ready to get stuck into training again.

“Being in the final makes us proud that we can represent the club at the highest level and compete for trophies.

“That’s where this club has traditionally been for so many years and especially after the last two years where we did struggle for form.

“It’s just rewarding to be able to get to this point and a good opportunity to play at Wembley.”

If Rhinos are to overcome Salford and lift the trophy for the first time since 2015, it will be imperative that Oledski and his fellow forwards set the lead against a hard-working pack full of gnarled operators.

But with NRL experience coming from Matt Prior and Ava Seumanufagi, and Alex Mellor to return after resting a rib injury against Hull, they are well set.

On his own progress, Oledzki added: “I have to mention the senior players like Matty Prior and big Ava, plus Luke Gale and Tommy Briscoe who have all competed at the top level.

“For us young boys there’s no-one better to learn from and they’ve passed on a lot of knowledge to allow us to progress.

“Individual form is infectious so if players around you are performing at their best, it makes you want to get to that level and work harder than ever.

“It’s been great for me and hopefully we can top it off with a trophy or two this year.”

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James Mitchinson