# 2008 Leeds Rhinos season

Leeds Rhinos Season 2008 :
| League | Super League |
| Coach | Brian McClennan |
| League position | 2nd |
| Top Pointscorer | Kevin Sinfield |
| Top Goalscorer | Kevin Sinfield |
| Top Tryscorer | Scott Donald |
| Highest home attendance | 19,296 |
| Lowest home attendance | 5,087 |
| Challenge Cup | Semi Finalists |
The 2008 Leeds Rhinos season saw the club compete in Super League XIII as well as the 2008 Challenge Cup tournament.

## Events by month
### February

* Super League 13 Started on Friday, 2 February (ko 7.30pm )with Leeds beating Hull KR 20–12 at Headingley.
* 29th, Leeds beat Australasian Grand Final winners Melbourne Storm in the 2008 World Club Challenge 10–4 at Elland Road.

### March

* The Rhinos lost their first game against Castleford Tigers on 7 March, (Round 5 of Super League) at The Jungle. This was also Castleford's first win of the season.

### April

* Super League club played first game in the Challenge cup.

### May

* Leeds Rhinos defeated Bradford Bulls 40–26 in the 2nd Millennium Magic at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium

### June

* Harlequins inflicted only the Rhinos 3rd defeat of the Season when they won 28–24 at the Twickenham Stoop

### July

* Leeds played St. Helens in the Challenge Cup Semi Final on 26 July 2008.

## 2008 squad

As of 16 June 2008
| Squad No | Player | Position | App | Tries | Goals | DG | Points |
| 1 | Brent Webb | Full-Back | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| 2 | Scott Donald | Wing | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 68 |
| 3 | Clinton Toopi | Centre | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Keith Senior | Centre | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| 5 | Lee Smith | Wing | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 6 | Danny McGuire | Stand-off | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 7 | Rob Burrow | Scrum-Half | 17 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 60 |
| 8 | Kylie Leuluai | Prop | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 9 | Matt Diskin | Hooker | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 10 | Jamie Peacock | Prop | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 11 | Jamie Jones-Buchanan | Second-Row | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 12 | Gareth Ellis | Second-Row | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 13 | Kevin Sinfield (C) | Loose-Forward | 17 | 2 | 74 | 0 | 156 |
| 14 | Ali Lauitiiti | Second-Row | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 16 | Ryan Bailey | Prop | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Nick Scruton | Prop | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 18 | Ian Kirke | Second-Row | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 19 | Carl Ablett | Second-Row | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 20 | Ashley Gibson | Centre | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Jordan Tansey | Scrum half | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 22 | Ryan Hall | Wing | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 23 | Danny Williams | Wing | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Luke Burgess | Prop | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 25 | Danny Allan | Loose forward | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Ben Kaye | Hooker | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 27 | Michael Ratu | Centre | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Simon Worrall | Second Row | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 29 | Luke Gale | Scrum half | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Michael Haley | Prop | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Paul McShane | Hooker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Kallum Watkins | Centre | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 33 | Joe Chandler | Prop | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Ben Jones-Bishop | Full back | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Eric Anselme | Second Row | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 |

## 2008 Player Signings/Transfers

Gains
| Player | Previous Club | Years Signed |
| Luke Burgess | Doncaster | Resigned |
| Danny Williams | Castleford Tigers | Resigned |
| Eric Anselme | Albi | Loan (4 Months) |
Losses
Losses :
| Player | Signed for | When left |
| Jamie Thackray | Hull F.C. | May |

## Coaching Set-Up

| Staff Name | Position |
| Brian McClennan | Head Coach |
| Francis Cummins | Assistant Coach |
| Willie Poching | Assistant Coach |
| Aleks Gross | Sports Scientist |
| Billy Watts | Timekeeper |
| Jason Davidson | Head Conditioner |
| Meirion Jones | Head Physiotherapist |
| Rob Wilson | Masseur |

## 2008 Fixtures/Results

2008 Engage Super League
| Rd | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Result (W/D/L) | Attendance |
| F | Leeds Rhinos | 18 – 26 | Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | L | 10,143 |
| F | Hunslet Hawks | 6 – 50 | Leeds Rhinos | W | |
| F | Featherstone Rovers | 20 – 42 | Leeds Rhinos | W | |
| F | Leeds Rhinos | 50 – 4 | Oldham | W | |
| F | Leeds Rhinos | 26 – 24 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | W | 12,500 |
| 4* | Leeds Rhinos | 20 – 12 | Hull KR | W | 18,467 |
| 1 | Huddersfield Giants | 10 – 30 | Leeds Rhinos | W | 15,620 |
| 2 | Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | 8 – 44 | Leeds Rhinos | W | 9,863 |
| 3 | Leeds Rhinos | 34 – 6 | Catalans Dragons | W | 14,083 |
| WCC | Leeds Rhinos | 11 – 4 | Melbourne Storm | W | 33,204 |
| 5 | Castleford Tigers | 38 – 20 | Leeds Rhinos | L | 9,459 |
| 6 | Leeds Rhinos | 48 – 0 | Harlequins | W | 14,557 |
| 7 | Leeds Rhinos | 44 – 2 | Bradford Bulls | W | 19,296 |
| 8 | Hull FC | 4 – 30 | Leeds Rhinos | W | 14,113 |
| 9 | St Helens | 10 – 14 | Leeds Rhinos | W | 11,188 |
| 10 | Leeds Rhinos | 10–14 | Wigan Warriors | L | 18,769 |
| 11 | Leeds Rhinos | 32–12 | Warrington Wolves | W | 16,327 |
| CCC4 | Leeds Rhinos | 38–16 | Celtic Crusaders | W | 5,087 |
| 12 | Hull KR | 22–36 | Leeds Rhinos | W | 9,391 |
| 13** | Bradford Bulls | 26–40 | Leeds Rhinos | W | 30,628 |
| CCC5 | Harlequins RL | 26–36 | Leeds Rhinos | W | 2,300 |
| 14 | Leeds Rhinos | 58–12 | Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | W | 17,647 |
| 15 | Bradford Bulls | 14–30 | Leeds Rhinos | W | 14,013 |
| CCCQF | Leeds Rhinos | 23–16 | Wigan Warriors | W | 10,129 |
| 16 | Leeds Rhinos | 38–22 | Hull FC | W | 16,886 |
| 17 | Harlequins RL | 28–24 | Leeds Rhinos | L | 3,769 |
| 18 | Leeds Rhinos | 12–26 | St Helens | L | 18,303 |
| 19 | Leeds Rhinos | 18–12 | Castleford Tigers | W | 17,619 |
| 20 | Wigan Warriors | 23–22 | Leeds Rhinos | L | 14,911 |
| 21 | Leeds Rhinos | 46–8 | Huddersfield Giants | W | 14,739 |
| 22 | Catalans Dragons | 24–37 | Leeds Rhinos | W | 9,880 |
| CCCSF*** | Leeds Rhinos | 16–26 | St Helens | L | |
| 23 | Warrington Wolves | 22–12 | Leeds Rhinos | L | 9,150 |
| 24 | Leeds Rhinos | 28–18 | Bradford Bulls | W | 17,508 |
| 25 | Leeds Rhinos | 54–12 | Castleford Tigers | W | 17,354 |
| 26 | Wigan Warriors | 16–52 | Leeds Rhinos | W | 14,778 |
| 27 | Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | 12–30 | Leeds Rhinos | W | 6,448 |
| ESL PO1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| ESL PO2 | St Helens | 30–10 | Leeds Rhinos | L | 11,407 |
| ESL PO3 | Leeds Rhinos | 18–14 | Wigan Warriors | W | 13,112 |
| ESLGF**** | St Helens | 16–24 | Leeds Rhinos | W | 68,810 |
*Round 4 played before round one to accommodate World Club Challenge on Round 4 weekend
**Round 13 played at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.
***Carnegie Challenge Cup Semi-Final played at the Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield
****engage Super League Grand Final played at Old Trafford, Manchester.
Super League XIII :
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | St. Helens (L) | 27 | 21 | 1 | 5 | 940 | 457 | +483 | 43 | Semi-final |
| 2 | Leeds Rhinos (C) | 27 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 863 | 413 | +450 | 42 | Semi-final |
| 3 | Catalans Dragons | 27 | 16 | 2 | 9 | 694 | 625 | +69 | 34 | Elimination semi-finals |
| 4 | Wigan Warriors | 27 | 13 | 3 | 11 | 648 | 698 | −50 | 29 | Elimination semi-finals |
| 5 | Bradford Bulls | 27 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 705 | 625 | +80 | 28 | Elimination semi-finals |
| 6 | Warrington Wolves | 27 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 690 | 713 | −23 | 28 | Elimination semi-finals |
| 7 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 27 | 11 | 1 | 15 | 564 | 713 | −149 | 23 | |
| 8 | Wakefield Trinity Wildcats | 27 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 574 | 760 | −186 | 22 | |
| 9 | Harlequins | 27 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 569 | 763 | −194 | 22 | |
| 10 | Huddersfield Giants | 27 | 10 | 1 | 16 | 638 | 681 | −43 | 21 | |
| 11 | Hull F.C. | 27 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 538 | 699 | −161 | 17 | |
| 12 | Castleford Tigers | 27 | 7 | 1 | 19 | 593 | 869 | −276 | 15 | |