Brad Arthur lauds ‘first-class’ Jake Connor following Toulouse Olympique heroics

Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur has once again lauded the efforts of star half-back Jake Connor, following their strong 48-24 win over Toulouse Olympique. 

The victory in the South of France now takes Leeds back joint-top of the Super League table, with the Rhinos now sitting on 22 points alongside Warrington Wolves.

‘It’s a real credit to him’

Connor was named Man of the Match in Leeds‘ win against the French outfit, notching six assists and slotting a perfect eight conversions from eight attempts.  Meanwhile, fans of Arthur and Leeds can use betting sign-up offers to bet on the player and team.

This is also the latest impressive display from the reigning Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel, which will certainly be catching the eye of England head coach Brian McDermott ahead of the upcoming World Cup in October, and Arthur feels that form is down to his ‘appreciation’ of his role within the side.

“He understands the game very well, and he really appreciates his role,” Arthur told Sky Sports.

“I’m into him about putting the team before him all the time, which is great, but I don’t want him to lose his run threat and play a little bit more for himself.

“In terms of his focus, control of the team and knowing what the situation is and what’s needed, it’s been first-class. It’s a real credit to him.

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“When he’s thinking calmly and worrying about himself, there’s nothing better.”

Connor was arguably the driving force in this Rhinos victory tonight, but it was far from plain sailing at the Stade Ernest-Wallon. After going 30-0 up, Leeds quickly saw their lead reduced to just six points at one stage in the second-half, before ultimately pulling away late on with a flurry of three tries in the final 20 minutes.

“They (Toulouse) were playing with a heap of energy (at the start of the second-half), everything was sticking and the bounce of the ball was going their way,” Arthur reflected. “So I was excited to see where we were at and how we could get on top of the game.

“Fair play to the boys, they showed composure – led by Jake – and that shows another evolution in our game and growth in our game.”

Leeds now head into a tough block of fixtures, which could come to define their season, with Warrington Wolves and Hull KR lying in wait over the next two weeks.

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