Leeds Rhinos: Play-off chances rated near-zero as table position deemed ‘unacceptable’ by Super League legend

Leeds Rhinos have left it too late to make the play-offs with their chances deemed slim by Super League punditry duo and winners of the game Paul Sculthorpe and Kyle Amor.

Amor, who won Super League four times with St Helens, believes the Rhinos and Huddersfield will miss out on the top six, despite the Giants’ 21-12 win on Sunday.

The former prop forward believes Ian Watson’s side have done too little, too late, while St Helens legend Sculthorpe has deemed Leeds’ current position of eighth unacceptable.

Both Leeds and Huddersfield sit with 20 points on the Super League table with 10 wins each, although face a battle for top six with Warrington and Salford holding positions fifth and sixth respectively.

Challenge Cup finalists Hull KR had claimed fifth sport for a short period until Warrington’s win over Hull FC in Round 23, and only remain outside the play-offs due to points difference.

Huddersfield’s points difference of -73 could also haunt the side, while Rohan Smith’s Rhinos at least have a positive one.

Leeds and Huddersfield unlikely to make play-offs, claims duo

Guests on the latest episode of Betfred’s The Last Tackle and asked if it’s too late for the Giants by host Mark Pearson, Amor responded: “I think so. The points difference as well is almost worth that extra point that they’ve got to claw back.

“I fancied Huddersfield at the start of the year given the playing roster that they had, but they’ve almost had too many good players in key positions, almost too many to pick from.

“It was at Leeds when Ian Watson did his post-match interview when they got beat by about 50, that seemed to have sort of helped Huddersfield there. But I agree, too little too late, and I think it’s too little, too late for late for Leeds Rhinos as well.”

Having won back-to-back Man of Steel awards during his prestigious career, former Saint Sculthorpe added: “For me, it’s not acceptable for a club like Leeds as well.

“The players that they’ve got, the money that they spend, they won’t be happy with eighth place and not making the play-offs, which it’s looking likely that they won’t.”

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