Boss Brad Arthur has explained a personal tribute to one of his players during Leeds Rhinos’ 32-6 win at Salford Red Devils.
The coach left his seat to shake hands with James Bentley after the second-rower was substituted late in Rhinos’ first Super League victory of 2025.
Bentley overcame a shaky start to score one of Rhinos’ six tries as they bounced back from a home loss to Wakefield Trinity in round one.
“He’s a tough character, one of those guys you need in your team,” Arthur said of Bentley, who is in the final season of his Leeds contract.
“I’ve been challenging him about not letting his emotions get control of his head. He is one of those guys that just wants to win and compete and you need those in your team.
“He is getting better at it and on his day, when he’s very good, he is very good. He has had some issues on his discipline, so we are still working on that.
“It’s important when he gets it right I recognise that. He lost his cool a bit, but managed to pull himself back around and maybe in the past he hasn’t been able to do that so it was a step in the right direction for him.
“He’s so tough, after about 15 minutes he was hobbling around, but he just knew he needed to stay there for his teammates. I wanted to thank him for that.”
Reflecting on the Leeds Rhinos victory, Arthur said: “It was a tough win, they are the sort of wins you really enjoy and are proud of as a coach.
“They are the sort of wins that bring the group together and it’s also a bit of confidence for them.
“Salford are a good football side and they tested us. At the back end they made a couple of long line-breaks and we managed to get our whole team back behind the ball and get our line set.
“The contest was in our favour and done, but we still managed to do that. They are the bits that pleased me.”
