Leeds Rhinos enforcer James Bentley opens up on his journey from the naughty step to the Grand Final

Fast forward to the present day and the Leeds Rhinos enforcer is preparing for a Grand Final reunion with former club St Helens.

It has been an arduous journey for the 24-year-old, a player who sailed too close to the wind in the first half of the season.

Bentley was sent off on his debut in round one, the first of three suspensions that sidelined the rugged back-rower for nine games.

He suffered a blip when he was sin-binned on his return to action against Saints in round 16 but has stayed off the match review panel's radar since.

Bentley remains as competitive as ever – as evidenced in the recent clash in Perpignan – and has played an important role in Leeds' remarkable run to Old Trafford.

As challenging as the first few months were, they helped shape Bentley's season.

"It was more just staying in control," he said on his discipline.

"Rohan (Smith) said to me that competitiveness is what makes me the player I am. It's just staying at the right side of it and not boiling over.

"It's hard to say what I've done; it's just about taking moments in the game when I can to get my head back and not get carried away too much.

"I realised that if I want to play, I can't play like that. I can still be competitive and aggressive in the way I play but I just need to be on the right side of the line.

"It's been a proper rollercoaster. My debut for my hometown club ended after like 15 minutes so it couldn't have gone any worse. I got banned a few other times but I've learned my lesson now.

"Getting to a Grand Final after where we were 10 weeks ago, it's been a mad ride."

In the aftermath of the defeat at St Helens in late June, the Rhinos were facing another lost season in their quest for a ninth Super League title.

An extraordinary transformation has taken Leeds from also-rans to the brink of glory.

The run of 11 wins in 13 games has earned the Rhinos a Grand Final place and vindicated Bentley's decision to join his hometown club.

"I obviously questioned myself at points but I knew I had to trust myself and keep working hard," said the forward, who scored two tries in the semi-final win over Wigan Warriors.

"When Rohan came in, I told him I was trying my hardest and he said I was probably trying too hard.

"He stripped my game back and told me I needed to give a constant seven or eight out of 10 rather than overplaying and trying to do too much.

"That's worked for me. My form has built and built towards the end of this year."

Bentley felt helpless in the early months of the season as the suspension issues piled up.

His turnaround has typified the change in mood at Headingley.

"It was more difficult for me because I wasn't playing and didn't feel like I could do much," said Bentley.

"I was trying to do my best at training but that's not helping and you get frustrated. I come back and I get banned again so it's a constant cycle.

"Things started to change when Jonesy (Jamie Jones-Buchanan) took over and then Rohan brought his bits.

"We are a talented group of players so once we got that confidence it took off from there. When you're confident and playing well as a team, it's pretty hard to get beat."

Bentley does not write his own scripts but if he did, this weekend would be the perfect conclusion to his debut season at Leeds.

Saturday's date with his old club will be Bentley's first taste of an Old Trafford decider.

"It doesn't get much better," he said.

"It'll be my first time there as well with what happened with Covid and missing out twice with Saints.

"It is literally a boyhood dream come true. The way this year has gone, it couldn't have ended any better for me.

"I'm just taking the week in and enjoying it. Coming up against Saints is probably the icing on the top.

"If someone would have asked me who I'd want to play in the Grand Final at the end of the year, I would have said Saints straight away. I'm buzzing and can't wait for it."

Bentley played in the 2020 Grand Final at the MKM Stadium and was part of the Saints squad that completed the three-peat last year.

Kristian Woolf's side are fancied to claim an unprecedented fourth straight title but Bentley has stressed that recent history will count for little under the lights at Old Trafford.

"It's a big game and it comes down to the split-second decisions," he said.

"Whoever takes their opportunities on the day will get the result. It's finals footy and it's going to go all the way. It'll come down to who breaks first.

"I'll be doing everything I can to win. There wouldn't be a better end to the year."