GEORGE BROWN will be keeping Brodie Croft and Jake Connor on their toes this season, reckons Leeds Rhinos assistant coach Jamie Langley.
The teenage halfback has stepped up from Leeds’ academy and produced a man-of-the-match performance in their 18-10 pre-season win over Wakefield Trinity on Boxing Day.
He made an impression in the previous year’s Festive Challenge too, coming off the bench late on to score the winning try.
This time Brown was starting scrum-half and, as well as scoring a try, controlled the side well across an 80-minute performance.
Leeds are well stocked in the halfback department, with past and present Men of Steel in Brodie Croft and Jake Connor plus an experienced back-up in Chris Hankinson, who played alongside Brown against Wakefield and was captain for the day.
But with Brown, who represented Yorkshire at academy level in both rugby league and union, the talk of AMT Headingley after his display, a senior debut may not be too far away.
“A lot of young players got their first sense of what men’s rugby is about,” said Brad Arthur’s right-hand man Langley, who alongside fellow assistant Scott Grix recently signed a new contract until 2028.
“We’ve tried to give them that taste now because at some point we’re going to need those lads throughout the year. They fronted up well.
“George Brown got his first opportunity to run the team and call the shots and he did a good job.
“We’ll see how Crofty and Jake go, but George won’t be far behind them.
“We trust George. He’s just come out of the academy and had a fantastic season. He’s a really confident young man, he backs himself.
“The best halves in the country at the minute, like George Williams and Mikey Lewis, are the best physically – they’re quick, powerful and dynamic.
“George is very much in that vein, so we’re really excited to see how he progresses in the next few years.”
Hankinson dislocated a finger during the game while back Alfie Edgell appeared to suffer a quad injury.
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