Leeds Rhinos v Hull FC: Business as usual for Tony Smith and Rohan Smith ahead of Headingley showdown

Tony Smith goes back to Headingley with his new Hull FC team to face former club Leeds Rhinos, coached by nephew Rohan.

Brian Smith – brother of Tony and father to Rohan – may find himself moving from one corner to the other during the game but for the main protagonists, it is purely business.

"Rohan knows I've got a job to do to get my team to win and he's got a job to do to get his team to win," said Tony, who coached against Brian in a game between Warrington Wolves and Wakefield Trinity.

"It's a talking point for other people but we could be playing Warrington or any other team and it wouldn't make a difference to me about how I prepare my team.

"It (relatives coaching against each other) probably doesn't happen a lot so I understand the interest but it is what it is. I won't see it as one over him if we win and I won't see it as my nephew got one over me."

Whereas Tony has been there and done it – most notably during his spell at Leeds which yielded two Super League titles – Rohan is at the beginning of his head coach journey.

"Tony is second to none, I suppose, in the impact he has had on lots of different clubs and the competition itself," said Rohan, who led the Rhinos to the Grand Final in his first year at the helm.

“We don’t talk that much about footy when we do talk. We check about each other’s families and see how we are doing as individuals.

“It’s Hull against Leeds and maybe after the game we’ll take a moment to reflect together, but it plays no bearing in the prep for me.”

The pair share similar philosophies with a focus on entertainment and creativity.

Tony Smith has taken steps to ensure the Black and Whites are not caught off guard at Headingley.

"I love some of the things Rohan does," he said.

"We're ready for short kick-offs but they're a lottery and hard to defend. I like teams that do stuff that's different.

"We're going to be set up for a short kick-off all the time but he may well get his team to do something else. If he's setting it up for another trick play, that's great and I love that. That's what we should be doing as coaches.

"We might have the odd short kick-off ourselves, although we only want one kick-off if we can help it.

"We all like a bit of unpredictability."

Hull are bracing themselves for a backlash from the Rhinos after Rohan Smith's men were comprehensively beaten by Warrington in round one.

Tony Smith expects his team to be better for the late wobble against Castleford Tigers.

"It'll be a blessing for us," he said.

"If Cas would have played like they played in the first half, it would have papered over some cracks. It wouldn't have done us any good.

"We needed some things highlighting to us that we need to get on top of and make sure we do them well.

"Leeds will be looking for improvement on their performance, too. Leeds on their own pitch in front of that crowd on a Friday night – they're going to respond."