Leeds Rhinos forward Mikolaj Oledzki has outlined how Brad Arthur has set goals for each player as the team bid to return to the Super League play-offs.
Finishing 8th in 2024 marked the second successive season where the Rhinos failed to crack the top six with results ultimately having led to the mid-season departure of head coach Rohan Smith.
Under Smith, the Rhinos made the Grand Final in 2022 but a record of just 19 wins in 43 games after that trip to Old Trafford led to his exit. In Smith’s place came fellow Australian Brad Arthur who oversaw marked improvements but still led the team to just a 50% win rate.
Having extended his deal for the 2025 season, Arthur now has a full pre-season with the squad and former England international Oledzki has explained the processes that Arthur has overseen to help bring about change and success.
“Since finishing last year, we’ve all had individual chats with Brad, with Chev and with certain coaches,” the prop forward revealed in a video shared to the Leeds Rhinos YouTube channel.
“We’ve received fairly detailed feedback on things that are going well for us as individuals and things that we really need to improve on and work on in detail.”
Off-contract Leeds Rhinos prop ‘excited’ about new-look pack
Credit: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
Oledzki, who is one of eight Rhinos players without a contract beyond the current season, revealed what aspects of his game he will be working on throughout Leeds’ pre-season camp.
He explained: “One of my areas was knowing my role in D, the details in the movements and speed at which I move in defence. That’s something I really need to put a lot of effort into to take my game forward.”
The off-contract 26-year-old will be part of a much-changed Rhinos pack with French pair Mickael Goudemand and Justin Sangare both seeing their deals cut short, whilst Leeds have signed overseas duo Keenan Palasia and Cooper Jenkins.
On that, Oledzki noted: “Also having a lot of new lads coming in, we’ve got to get the combinations right together. Learning what each player likes and what plays suit them, so it’s great.
“It’s a breath of fresh air to get some new faces in and kind of get excited about working with new players. They’re all great lads as well.
“I’m really excited to have some big fellas in the pack for this year.”
The likes of Sam Lisone, Tom Nicholson-Watton and Tom Holroyd also remain at the club as props but with such change happening the former Dream Team member Oledzki will be asked to rediscover some of that 2022 form, particularly given his off-contract status.
