NEW BOY LOLOHEA GIVES RHINOS PACE TO FURN

LEEDS RHINOS’ new era under coach David Furner started with solid foundations as debutant Tui Lolohea steered them to a pre-season win.

The 2017 champions are undergoing a rebuild on and off the field, as they officially opened the new South Stand at a rapidly developing Headingley while Australian Furner took charge of his first match. They trailed 4-0 at half-time to a Wakefield side again expected to challenge the top teams in Super League next year despite their lesser resources, before Tongan international Lolohea stepped forward.

Having already saved a Wakefield try with his defence, the stand-off then kicked for Tom Briscoe (right) to score before being involved in Ash Handley’s decisive effort to win the Wetherby Whaler Festive Challenge. Furner said: “It was a little bit scrappy, we were disappointing with the ball in the first half. The pleasing thing is the way we valued our try-line, we scrambled well.

“They were the positive signs, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do.” Wakefield, whose try came from 2018 Dream Team member Bill Tupou, also impressed at times, the returning Danny Brough causing typical problems with his kicking game. Both players had a man sin-binned, with Trinity’s Tyler Randall shown a yellow card for a high tackle and the Rhinos’ Jack Walker for holding down.

The match was not played under the raft of new rules that Super League will implement in 2019, but Wakefield coach Chris Chester said: “Every club has had a referee in and will do again when the shot clock and rule changes begin. It looked a lot quicker out there.”