'We want to go one step further: Leeds Rhinos' Ash Handley sets key target ahead of pre-season opener

Rhinos’ surprise Grand Final appearance this year will put them under added pressure to do well when the new season begins in February, their leading try scorer reckons, but he insists that’s fine by him.

“It’s always the aim at Leeds Rhinos, to get some trophies,” Handley stated. “Nothing will change next year and there’ll be a few more expectations.

“That’s a good thing, we want to get back up there and be competing and we want to go one step further next year.”

Handley featured in September’s Old Trafford defeat by St Helens just three weeks after suffering a fractured foot and has been in full training ahead of Rhinos’ Boxing Day derby against Wakefield Trinity at Headingley.

He will start at full-back and pledged: “I am looking forward to it, there’s still quite a number of people not back yet, so it feels a bit strange.

“We had a few people leave last year so we’ve had a big turnaround in players and it’s a young squad who are in at the moment, so it is different.

“Training has been different, we are doing different things, but I am enjoying it still and I am looking forward [to playing].”

This is Rhinos’ first pre-season under Rohan Smith, who transformed them from relegation candidates to title contenders after taking over midway through 2022.

“Obviously he had to filter his stuff in slowly over the season because we were playing every week,” Handley noted.

“Now he has got time to put his print on our team and we can learn his way in a lot more detail over pre-season, which is what we have been doing.

“People have come back in really good nick. Everyone’s testing each other and there’s a lot of competitiveness in the group.

“We are all looking quite fit and there’s still a lot of work to do in pre-season, so it is looking good.”

Number one Richie Myler will be in the halves for Leeds’ pre-season opener and back-up full-back Luke Hooley, an autumn signing from Batley Bulldogs, misses out through injury.

Teenager Max Simpson has been named on one wing with Liam Tindall occupying the other and new recruit Derrell Olpherts is set to start at centre, alongside youngster Levi Edwards.

Olpherts is better known as a winger and Handley has been impressed with what he has seen of the former Castleford Tigers man in training.

Olpherts was Super League’s third-highest metre-maker last season and second in terms of carries made, both categories topped by Handley who said: “He is a good player and he brings a bit of competition for places, which is what you need to keep everyone playing well.

“He looks good, he is in good nick himself and training well and he is a good bloke as well.

“I think he is a good guy and I get along with him really well so I am looking forward to seeing him play.”