SEZER HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS

JULIE STOTT

BY

AIDAN SEZER will make his Leeds debut today with a hunger for glory driving him on.

The traditional Boxing Day clash with Wakefield Trinity is only a friendly but Sezer insists his mindset is totally serious.

And he hopes that mentality can help spur Leeds to their first title since 2017 and end his own near-miss history.

His only previous Grand Final appearance was in the NRL two years ago when Canberra Raiders lost to Sydney Roosters.

Sezer (below) said: “Nobody prepares for failure in a Grand Final, but when you do come up short it makes you hungry and you want to go there again. I want to achieve it before I get too old.”

The 30-year-old half, who has joined Leeds after a two-year spell with Huddersfield Giants, wants to go into coaching when he eventually retires.

But before then he’s hell-bent on ending St Helens’ three-year reign as champions.

And he’ll have his close mate Blake Austin alongside him, following his fellow Aussie’s arrival from Warrington. Sezer said: “We grew up in the same sort of neighbourhood and understand where each other comes from.

“It makes things easy when you understand people’s backgrounds and when you are pretty similar people. He’s a good mate and we’ve always been there for each other.

“We have pretty similar personalities and that helped me when I moved to Canberra.”

Austin and Sezer, who was shortlisted for Man of Steel two years ago, spent three seasons together at the Raiders and were room-mates on club trips.

It’s that close understanding that is exciting Leeds fans after four disappointing seasons since their last title success.

Sezer, who will play stand-off to Austin’s scrum-half, added: “I think we complement each other. We have got good contrasting styles. I like to control the boys, get my hands on the ball and free Blake up to get his running game going.

“It’s an opportunity to play the way we really want to play and that’s on the front foot as halves. We’re under a coach who is going to enable us to do that.

“Predominately I’ve always played on the left because of my left foot and it helps my kicking game – and Austin’s the same

with his right foot.

“In defence we’ll probably be structured to one side or the other but in attack we want to play on the ball, play a free-flowing, nice style of footy.”

Leeds open their campaign next year at home to Warrington on Saturday February 12.