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5 players Brad Arthur will look to sign for Leeds Rhinos

Brad Arthur and Ian Blease Leeds Rhinos

Brad Arthur is now the Leeds Rhinos head coach until the end of this Super League season.

He’s spoken about the goal being to make it to the playoffs – which they aren’t far off, despite a poor start to the campaign – so they’ll surely be looking to back this ambition up with some signings.

Both sporting director Ian Blease and the man himself have refused to rule out the possibility of the arrangement becoming a longer-term one, so we’ve suggested some players that would be signings for 2025, as well as some that could be an immediate signing to bolster their playoff push.

According to Jon Wilkin, Arthur has already made some suggestions: “I was chatting to a few Leeds executives in the tunnel and he has made recommendations already.”

Blease has refused to comment on potential recruitment options, but here are some options we think they might look to.

Five players Brad Arthur will look to sign for Leeds Rhinos

Maika Sivo

We’ve included a few Parramatta Eels players in here for one key reason: Brad Arthur hasn’t got much time.

We’re already over halfway through the season, and the Rhinos will need to see improvements made very quickly if they’re to have a genuine chance of making the playoffs.

Usually, you’d expect a head coach to have a full pre-season to work with the team and to introduce the players to their methods, but this is not a luxury that the Rhinos have.

Therefore, a familiar face to Arthur could be the way to go.

Maika Sivo is a winger that the Eels have reportedly been keen to move on for much of this season.

He’s spent time in the reserve-grade this year due to injuries and poor form, and may be the first to go now that incoming Parramatta head coach Jason Ryles is keen to move players on.

Sivo is contracted for another year, so there’s no reason the Rhinos would have to wait until the end of the season to bring him in other than being full on quota spots.

However, they may decide to allow David Fusitu’a to move on early – he’s out-of-contract at the end of this year and has really struggled with injuries this season.

Riley Lumb is also out injured, while Paul Momirovski, Ash Handley and Harry Newman have all suffered injury setbacks this season, meaning they may look to sure up their outside-back situation again, following the loaned-in Matty Russell’s time at the club.

Sivo has a remarkable try-scoring record – 98 in 111 NRL Premiership games, at the time of writing, and may be an option for the Rhinos immediately.

Jake Connor

Super League Jake Connor Leeds Rhinos

Credit: Imago Images

Jake Connor has been made available to clubs on a loan from Huddersfield Giants, head coach Ian Watson has confirmed, but he’s yet to have any sides sign him.

Therefore, it seems that the club would be happy to let him go – despite him being contracted for the 2025 season.

He was the starting fullback until the Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to Warrington Wolves – since then he hasn’t started a game at all.

There was, it seems, interest from Leeds Rhinos recently. Huddersfield boss, Watson, confirmed that the Rhinos had enquired about taking Connor on loan, but the advance had been rejected, with Connor travelling to France with the Giants squad that lost against the Catalans Dragons.

He can fill in at centre, helping out with their outside-back struggles, but can also play in the halves. After Matt Frawley was dropped for the last game, there may be a feeling at the Rhinos that they need another option there – if only to give some more competition for places.

Reagan Campbell-Gillard

Reagan Campbell-Gillard to Leeds Rhinos?

Credit: Imago Images

The second in a trio of Parramatta Eels players, he also has another year to go on his contract but has reportedly been looking at Super League as an option to move on.

Rhyse Martin is, reportedly, likely to move on from the club after this season, freeing up a quota spot, and RCG could be the man to fill it.

Playing almost 100 games at prop under Brad Arthur, he’s got almost a decade of NRL experience with both Penrith Panthers and the Eels.

The loan signing of Sam Eseh showed the fragility of their prop situation after Tom Holroyd and Sam Lisone had concussion problems – and they’ll surely want to use their quota spot to sort their forward pack situation for 2025.

This could be a smart move.

Ryan Matterson

Ryan Matterson of the Eels scores a try during the round fifteen NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs

Credit: Imago Images

Matterson’s the final Parramatta player in this list, but he could be a great signing.

Nephew of Terry Matterson, a former London Broncos, he’s a real utlity player capable of playing in the halves and at second-row – although he’s also appeared in the centres, at hooker, and as loose-forward at times.

He could replace Rhyse Martin at second-row but also give them another option in the halves. Two birds with one stone.

He’s another player rumoured to be heading out of Parramatta despite still being contracted beyond this year, now that Jason Ryles is incoming – making this a potential option for Brad Arthur that he knows well.

Martin Taupau

Martin Taupau of Brisbane Broncos

Credit: Imago Images

A man that’s been perennially linked with Leeds Rhinos for the best part of a decade, it seems his days at Brisbane Broncos are numbered.

A former Samoa and New Zealand international with almost 250 NRL appearances, he’d be a big-name signing.

For Manly Sea Eagles alone, he made 156 appearances, and got his big break at Canterbury Bulldogs due to a suspension for former St Helens star James Graham freeing up a starting spot.

In fact, he was of interest to Arthur’s Eels in 2022, with both sides interested but unable to make the move happen due to salary cap restraints.

A main-stay of the side in 2023, he’s made just a few appearances this year due to the emergence of young talents and the form of Corey Jensen.

He would add power and leadership to the weak Rhinos pack.

The salary cap, according to News Corp, will mean he won’t have his contract extended, with big deals for forwards, as well as a huge reported offer to Reece Walsh of over 1 million Australian dollars, will put a strain on it.

Therefore, it seems very likely that a move is possible.

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