Leeds will go into this having to bounce back from the 14-18 defeat to Melbourne Storm in last Friday's World Club Challenge.

Reflecting upon that performance, former GB international and Sky Sports analyst Terry O'Connor reckons: "Leeds gave a good account of themselves and the stats of both teams were pretty equal, but you have got to take your opportunities when you are up against some of the best players in the world - Melbourne Storm had three of the best in Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater - and sometimes the pass didn't quite come off; if it had done, Leeds could have won the game.

"The Rhinos usually defend the middle of the park very well, too, but missed tackles also cost them against Melbourne, who took the game very seriously."

Catalyst

How the Rhinos bounce back from that reverse will say much about the team's character and they will head to St Helens to face a team who put in their best display of the season so far in seeing off Bradford 36-10 last weekend.

One player who O'Connor singled out for praise in that performance was Saints' Jonny Lomax. "He is another English lad who has come through the system. He was switched from half-back to full-back for the win at Bradford but you knew he could come up with the goods. All he wants to do is run with the ball in his hand and perhaps taking the responsibility for organising set-pieces away from him and just letting him produce moments of magic gets the best out of him, like we've seen with Sam Tomkins at Wigan."

When the teams met at Langtree Park last season Saints dished out a 46-6 beating to Leeds. But it rarely pays to write off the Rhinos, as demonstrated by the fact they finished 2012 by lifting the Super League trophy. Defeat to Melbourne may just prove to be the catalyst for another successful Super League campaign.