Last week, Leeds Rhinos announced that one of their former players would be re-joining the club in a coaching role, as they continue to give their youth prospects the best experience they can before they reach the first team.
Shaun Lunt will become an academy assistant coach at Headingley, in what will be his third stint there in his career.
Initially joining on loan in 2012, Lunt was part of the Grand Final squad that defeated Warrington Wolves, before returning seven years later as part of a swap deal with Matt Parcell.
In his two half-seasons as a player, the hooker made 30 appearances, scoring nine tries.
He has now returned to the club to work under Chev Walker, and will play a key role in helping the next generation of Rhinos talent emerge and fulfil their potential.
Speaking exclusively to Serious About Rugby League, Lunt has discussed his new role at Leeds, and what he hopes to be able to achieve during his time there.
“I absolutely love it, I really do,” he said. “I can’t explain how much it means being back at Leeds and just being part of Leeds again.
“I just want to go help Leeds and help Chev, and take a bit of weight off his shoulders.
Both Walker and Lunt go back a long time, with Walker playing alongside Lunt’s brother in the Leeds academy system. The pair’s children also play at the same junior club, Mirfield ARLFC.
What he wants to accomplish in the role is simple: help the person progress as well as the player. He believes if he does that, then his work can be deemed as a success.
“Obviously, develop the young players coming through and just make them better people,” he added. “You work on the individuals and all the stuff on the field takes care of itself.
“A lot of emphasis is on winning and winning trophies however if you develop the player as a person as well, then winning leagues and winning trophies and winning games is a by-product of that.
“I’ll be very focused on the individuals that I’m working with, rather than the whole of the team if that makes sense.”
Youth development is something that he is incredibly passionate about, and as well as taking the academy assistant job, will continue his work at amateur side Mirfield as Head of Youth and Under 11’s coach.
“Where are our kids going to go?” – Leeds Rhinos coach hits out at incoming quota ruling
It is that ambition of helping the next generation become first-team players that makes him heavily disagree with one of Super League’s new rule changes for 2026.
Next year, clubs will be allowed to bring in 10 non-federation, or ‘quota’ players to their squad, which is an increase from seven.
Essentially, to count as a quota player it means they can’t have played grassroots rugby league in Europe for more than three seasons up until the age of 21.
This new ruling, combined with the inclusion of two more teams in the top flight, means that of the 238 players featuring in Super League each week, potentially more than half of them could be from overseas.
Lunt believes this move is one that can be damaging to the sport, with the international game especially suffering the most.
“How are we not looking after our youth? Where are our kids going to go?” Lunt said passionately.
“[The youth players] are coming through and there’s no spots for them… rugby league as a whole in this country, need to get better at looking after the youth, and giving them more opportunities.”
Lunt added that he agreed with Walker’s comments on the situation “a million percent” – with the Rhinos reserves head coach also commenting on the rule change.
He said: “I was once that one kid that came through, and if I was to miss out on a first-team chance due to an increase in quota, I would’ve been gutted, especially in my own country.
“For me, even if we step back and say for the next five years we’re going to struggle at international level, however in that five years, we’re going to have all these kids coming through and massive talent pathways at clubs, have a big pool of players coming through. Then we can start winning.
“That, to me, would be one step back three steps forward, but now it seems to be one step forward three steps back.”
Check out the latest episode of The Serious About Rugby League Show on our YouTube channel here.
