Following the news that Dylan Walker will join Leeds Rhinos ahead of next season, here is how Brad Arthur’s squad is shaping up for 2027 and beyond.
Walker joins Morgan Gannon in penning a three-year deal at Headingley, meaning he has a contract running until the end of 2029. He is one of seven players to have a deal lasting that long, highlighting how the club are actively planning for longer than just the next 12 months.
The Rhinos currently have five players with contracts expiring at the end of the current season, whilst five players – Brodie Croft, Mikolaj Oledzki, Harry Newman, Cameron Smith and James McDonnell – have all agreed deals away from Headingley and will depart at the season’s end.
Here, we go through every Rhinos player’s contract situation, and there are still some very influential players who also could depart, should Leeds not act quickly to secure their signatures.
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Every Leeds Rhinos player’s contract situation heading into 2027
Contract expiring in 2026 (5):Â Chris Hankinson, Jeremiah Mata’utia*, Kallum Watkins, Ned McCormack, Ryan Hall
Hankinson has been an incredible pick-up for Leeds, after joining from Salford last season. He has seemingly found a home in the back row, and has now scored tries in six consecutive games for the club.
Mata’utia has an option in his contract for a further year, should Leeds wish to extend, whilst McCormack has been heavily linked with a move to Wakefield.
Veterans Hall, 38, and Watkins, 35, are undecided on their futures, and could go round again in 2027.
Contracts expiring in 2027 (8):Â Alfie Edgell, Ben Littlewood, Danny Levi, Fergus McCormack, Jack Bird, Lachie Miller, Maika Sivo, Tom Nicholson-Watton
The two stand-outs in this section are Miller and Sivo, who are both on fire this season in their own individual ways. Levi and Bird have been handy pick-ups from the NRL, and could well earn a new deal at the club.
Academy products Edgell, Littlewood, McCormack and Nicholson-Watton have all had select chances to impress, with Edgell and McCormack arguably the two most likely to make it in the Rhinos first-team.
Contacts expiring in 2028 (5): Jarrod O’Connor, Ethan O’Neill, Presley Cassell, Cooper Jenkins, Tom Holroyd
O’Connor was linked to the NRL at the start of the season, but committed to Leeds for three more years, and is loving life at Headingley at the minute. O’Neill hasn’t really had a chance to shine in 2026, but an initial three-year deal suggests he still has a part to play for the Rhinos in the future.
Cassell has had limited game time this year after a breakthrough 2025, whilst Jenkins and Holroyd form part of one of the competition’s best packs, with their form so integral to how Leeds play.
The end of 2028 is also when head coach Arthur’s new contract will expire.
Contracts expiring in 2029 (7): Riley Lumb, Ash Handley, Max Simpson, Jake Connor, Keenan Palasia, Morgan Gannon, Dylan Walker
Prospects Lumb and Simpson have been tied down to long-term deals, with the pair having real potential to become first-team players in the coming years.
Reigning Man of Steel Connor, as well as Handley and Palasia, all signed contracts in the off-season to extend their stay for another four seasons, including this one. All three are in some career-best form, and if that continues for the remainder of their contract, expect Leeds to be continuously challenging for silverware.
Walker and Gannon are new recruits for next year, and have both signed for three years, with Gannon returning home after a one-year spell in the NRL.
