Leeds Rhinos' Sam Walters talks Grand Final disappointment, growing in confidence and hopes for 2022

Walters was ever-present as a substitute throughout Rhinos’ Betfred Super League play-off campaign which culminated in defeat by St Helens at Old Trafford last weekend.

The Grand Final was the former Widnes Vikings player’s 13th appearance of the season and took his total for Leeds, since making his debut in 2020, to 25.

Being selected in the most important game of the year was a major step forward for the 21-year-old and he has pledged it won’t be his last appearance on the big stage.

“At such a young age, experiencing Old Trafford and the week and the build up and what happens on the day just makes me want it more,” the ex-England academy pack man stated.

“I want it to be a regular thing. I’ll have a little rest now and then start straight away in the off-season and pre-season.

“There’s a lot of things in my game I want to develop and I want to develop a lot physically as well to put me in the best stead for next year.”

Walters made just two starts this term and got only limited game time in some of his appearances off the bench, so gaining more minutes on the field is his aim for next season.

He missed the first part of the campaign after suffering a shoulder injury during a pre-season game at Bradford Bulls, but reckons his performances since returning to the team - in Rohan Smith’s first game as coach, away to Salford Red Devils in May - have given him a foundation to build on for 2023.

He said: “Working under Rohan, he has given me a lot of confidence back into my game, which I’ve lacked over the last 12 months.

“I think, going forward, I’ll just build on that confidence and build on a good platform of hard work.”

Though he wasn’t on the field long, Walters - a second-rower who has filled in at times in the middle of the field - said the fact Smith selected him in Rhinos’ Grand Final 17 was a shot in the arm.

“The squad has been stretched all year and whoever has come in has done a job for us,” he noted.

“On Saturday we were missing our half-back and Cam [Smith] stepped up and did a job for us.

“I think if we can get all our bodies on the field next year we will start on a really positive note.”

Rhinos have one more fixture as the opposition for New Zealand’s World Cup warm-up at Headingley on Saturday, October 8, but Walters is already looking forward to beginning preparations for 2023.

It will be Rhinos’ first pre-season under Smith and Walters said: “The structure in our game will come from that pre-season, as a whole team working together under Rohan and getting his philosophies. He has only had a limited amount of time to get us to play the way he wants to.”