LEEDS Rhinos Super League prop Brad Singleton is confident the team will come back stronger than ever after one of their toughest seasons in living memory.

The 23-year-old Barrow Island product was part of the Leeds side who won a historic treble of League Leaders Shield, Super League Grand Final and Challenge Cup in 2015.

But hopes they could follow that success with even more glory this year were dashed as the Rhinos found themselves battling at the wrong end of the table and consigned to the Super 8s Qualifiers after a bottom-four finish.

A late flourish in the Super 8s saw them top the pile with six wins from seven and guarantee Super League rugby next season, and Singleton is positive that they can learn from the experiences of a tough year and come out stronger in 2017.

“It's been an intense season,” said the new father, who will return to pre-season training with Leeds this month.

“I think we are going to better for it. It has been a testing year.

“It's good to win things, like we did last year, but you don't know what sort of characters you have got in the side until you lose. I think we have come out the better for that.

“I think for next year, we've got a decent foundation to build on.

“We'll learn from this and we can only get better. All the young lads have that under their belts now, and all the older lads – the new Aussies – they don't want to be down there again.”

Singleton was relieved to be a spectator when Hull Kingston Rovers and Salford City Reds contested the Million Pound Game at the end of the Super 8s to decide which team would retain their Super League place and which would be consigned to the Championship.

But he was always confident going into that second stage of the season, knowing the Rhinos have a record of coming good when it counts in recent years.

“Just with Leeds' history in important games in the play-offs, we always backed ourselves when it really mattered,” said the Rating Lane youth. “All those seven games were all must-win for us. We knew how scary it would be to be in the Million Pound Game.

“We took every game seriously and we respected all the Championship teams, because the standard of those teams isn't too different. On the day, when they want to perform, they can perform.

“I think we respected the league we were in like we had to and we have come out the better for it.”

As for his own lessons from the season passed, Singleton realises he is becoming a senior player in the Leeds ranks.

With more than 100 games under his belt for the Headingley side since his debut in 2011, and three years to run on a contract signed this year, he is well-established in the Rhinos squad and is starting to appreciate the responsibilities that come with that.

“The last 12 games, I've really had to know my role,” he said. “I've had to become more of a leader, become more confident in myself. Hopefully, going forward, that will put me in good stead for the years ahead.”