Leeds Rhinos boss Brad Arthur gives biggest hint yet he won’t stay for 2026

Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur has spoken on his future at the club beyond the current season with the Australian’s deal expiring in 2025, offering what could be the biggest hint yet that he won’t stay beyond the current deal.

Arthur’s future is one of the hottest topics in Super League with the head coach speaking this past week about the fact that he feels he has been ‘neglecting his Dad duties’, those comments in light of the fact his son debuts for Newcastle Knights this weekend.

Having initially signed on a ten-game deal, Arthur agreed to extend his deal for the 2025 season but he’s openly stated that he cannot commit yet to 2026, something he’s once again reiterated.

Speaking on Sky Sports after Leeds’ 28-0 win over Salford Red Devils, Arthur gave the biggest hint yet that he might not sign a new deal as he declared that those at the Rhinos “don’t need me”, insisting the club is well-positioned to move forward without him.

On the club’s direction, he said:”I feel like the club’s heading in the right direction with Bleasey in, Paul Caddick, and now Jamie (Jones-Buchanan) in the front office as well. So the players understand what we’re trying to do with the level of training and physicality that we need to play.

“I might be here, I might not be here, but they don’t need me. They can run it themselves now, they know what their standards and expectations are and what you need to do to win games of footy, we’ve just got to learn how to win more regularly.”

Leeds Rhinos boss Brad Arthur gives biggest hint yet he won’t stay for 2026

Four tries from James McDonnell seals the win for the Rhinos
FULL TIME
Salford Red Devils 0 – 28 Rhinos
🤝 In partnership #Anchor #ButtertheFoodButtertheMood pic.twitter.com/Aytw3W7l7d

— Leeds Rhinos (@leedsrhinos) April 10, 2025

That statement will have pricked the ears of Leeds fans with the Rhinos having certainly improved under Arthur’s coaching, despite the fact the wins aren’t flooding in.

When initially asked about his future, he underlined what he is missing back home with the sacrifice of family being a major one for the Australian.

He said: “Look, it’s a real tough question because I’ve got my young bloke making his club debut for Newcastle this weekend and I’m not there and I’ve got my wife and my daughter here who can’t go and see that as well.

“I certainly don’t want to make a commitment to the Rhinos that I can’t fulfill or walk out of in two months or three months’ time. So I need to make sure I’m fully committed. I’m fully committed right now to the team and the club.”

He also confirmed that if he were to leave, he’d want to return which is one of the reasons why he is so intent on ensuring he doesn’t send mixed messages to those at the club.

Arthur explained:”I’d love to come back here in 10 years time and coach, so I want to make sure that people want me to come back here. So I need to do the right thing, and at some stage the club’s gonna want an answer and I’ll have to be able to give one but if it was right now, I can’t commit to that because once I commit to something I’m not going to walk away from it.”

Asked if and when there is a hard and fast date for when a decision needs to be made, he conceded: “I’m not sure, that’s up to Ian and Paul when they want to put a date on it. They haven’t really said at the moment but I’m sure it’s probably coming soon.”

Discussing that work and family balance, he added: “I think I’m going to be a better quick coach if I get an opportunity back at home because I’ve always put work over family and I’ve learned that I can have both and I can put family first and still get me work done. So that’s been good for me. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. I love working with this group of players, the club, it’s been fantastic.

“I wish my family was around me but it’s not the case, my two young boys are trying to forge a career of their own and I feel I need to be there to support them but they haven’t asked me to come home.”