BBC SPORT | RUGBY LEAGUE | Sinfield: Time to deliver

BBC Sport Online columnist Kevin Sinfield says it is time for Leeds Rhinos to start fulfilling their fans' expectations.

We've got a new squad, a new regime and a whole new belief in ourselves thanks to the win over Bradford Bulls.

As far as I am concerned, everything is 100% better than this time last year and expectations within the camp are high.

We cannot wait for the Super League season to start and I suspect the fans feel exactly the same way.

We've had a couple of decent cup runs in recent seasons but we want some Super League silverware

A few weeks ago and it wasn't looking so rosy.

We'd been beaten by Widnes in South Africa and had put in a bad second-half performance against Wakefield.

I guess our supporters were thinking we'd probably make the play-offs but fall at the first hurdle again.

But then came the win over the Bulls in the Challenge Cup and everything changed.

Now it's up to us to maintain such high standards and give our fans a good reason to turn out in force for all our home games.

Rugby league fans are quite fickle in general.

At the end of the day, they pay their money - quite a lot of money - to watch us play and if they don't like what they see then it's understandable if they stay away.

I hope that's not the case this season.

Hull's Jason Smith
Smith may bow out at the end of this season
We've had a couple of decent cup runs in recent seasons but we want some Super League silverware.

To be honest, I cannot really see anyone other than last year's top five challenging for honours this time around - and maybe London Broncos.

Everyone knows what the likes of Saints, Bradford and Wigan are capable of.

As for Hull, they no longer have the element of surprise.

But they have some great, young players coming through while Jason Smith will still be a source of inspiration.

He's an outstanding player but this could be his final year and he will want to go out on a high note.

We have plenty of talent of our own and the early signs are that we will have a good season.

I hope we can deliver.


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