Morgan Smithies back in training... motivated by Grand Final heartache

The 20-year-old was in the side beaten 8-4 by St Helens in last November’s dramatic title decider, as his former England academy team-mate Jack Welsby grabbed a match-winning try in the final play of the game.

Smithies is among a clutch of senior players who have reported back to Robin Park this week, linking up with fringe players who began a fortnight earlier.

And he has no doubts the events at an empty KCOM Stadium in Hull will help motivate them as they start preparing for the 2021 season to start in late March.

He said: “It will definitely play a role. All the lads, losing like that, it makes us hungrier to get back there and not let it happen again.

“That was a tough one to take, physically and emotionally. Everyone has lost games before but that one really hurt.

“And when you’ve got something like that in the back of your mind, it helps to push you on whenever you’re in a hard place in training.”

The start of the new Super League season has been pushed back a further two weeks, to March 25.

And while Smithies can’t wait to play again, he is hoping to reap the rewards of the longer pre-season. He added: “For a player like me, it’s only my second pre-season and having 10 weeks gives me a chance to get as fit and strong as I can.

"When the games are one, it’s more about recovery and game prep, you may only get in one or two gym sessions a week so it’s hard to make any gains. Now is the ideal time, we’ve 10 week pre-season now which is a long one, so it's about working hard and hopefully by the time the games come around I’ll be more than ready."