Salford Red Devils v Leeds Rhinos: No let-up as Rhinos strive to close gap on Super League rivals

A loss would leave Rhinos six points behind Salford with only seven games remaining in the regular Betfred Super League season – and Leeds’ two other closest rivals in the battle for play-off spots, St Helens and Catalans Dragons, face the bottom two in the table this weekend.

Fourth-placed Catalans, who are also four points ahead of Leeds, visit 12th-placed London Broncos on Sunday. St Helens are one spot and two points clear of Rhinos and travel to second-bottom Hull FC on Saturday.

Leeds have the toughest run-in of the teams placed from four-seventh, so anything other than a victory could be fatal to their play-off hopes and Miller stressed: “Individually and as a collective we know how big a game it is.”

He said that hasn’t been discussed as a team, but warned: “We have put ourselves in a position where every game between here and the end of the year is a big game. They are all must-wins for us, but we are just putting some new systems in place and some new processes we are following and if we can follow those it puts us in a good position to win games.”

A morale-boosting 34-6 victory at Huddersfield Giants last week kept Rhinos in the hunt and was an indication they are making progress, according to Miller. “It was much better, a step in the right direction,” he said.

“Our defence was good, there was just the one try which was my error, so the team defended really well and our attack started to click a little bit. That’s our platform and we can build off that. If we can keep building we’ll put ourselves in positions to win games, which is the important thing.”

The success at Huddersfield was Brad Arthurt’s first as Leeds coach. The Australian spent a decade in charge at Parramatta Eels and Miller revealed “accountability” is a key aspect of the new man’s strategy.

“He is very experienced,” he said. “He has coached 10 years in the NRL and has got a very direct approach. There’s a lot of accountability within the group and we have all reacted to it in a positive way. The last two weeks our footy has been a bit better and we’ve completed at a higher rate so that individual accountability has been good.”

Miller is clearly relishing working with the new boss. He added: “He is a funny fella as well to be around and I am enjoying it. I have always enjoyed it over here so it has been good.”

The 29-year-old played rugby union sevens before joining NRL club Cronulla Sharks in 2022. He moved to Newcastle Knights the following season and arrived in Leeds last autumn on a three-year contract.

“I am loving it,” he said of his first campaign in Betfred Super League. “Obviously it has been a bit up and down, but I know that once we get the ball rolling I, as well as the team, am capable of some better things.

“I have got a pretty clear goal in mind now to make sure there’s more ups than downs. I’ve got to stop the rollercoaster and even it out a bit.”

Miller has missed only one game this year - at Hull KR in round two when he was ill - and Leeds’ final try at Huddersfield last week was the fourth of his English career. Rhinos will need a new goal kicker when Rhyse Martin leaves the club at the end of this season and Miller - regularly takes kick-offs and drop-outs - has put his hand up for the crucial duty. He landed 26 goals during his season with Newcastle and practises kicks in the team warm-up before matches.

“I am more than confident in goal kicking,” Miller confirmed. “I have done it before, but obviously when there’s someone in your team like Rhyse Martin, there’s no need to.

“But I am very comfortable if the opportunity arises or I am needed to step up and do the goal kicking. I do kick a few here and there at training, just to keep the feel of the foot striking the ball, but Rhyse is one of the best goal kickers I’ve ever seen so I normally just spend my time watching his kicks go over.”