Leeds Rhinos, once consistently at the top end of the Super League table, have had a disappointing few seasons recently.
This year, they missed out on a play-off spot for a second successive season and saw head coach Rohan Smith replaced by former Parramatta Eels boss Brad Arthur mid-season.
Arthur seemed to improve things, particularly in spirit among the fans who were at times very vocal about Smith’s coaching, however, the end-of-season string of results still was not enough for them to break into the top six.
With Arthur locked in for the 2025 season and talks that the pre-season will be incredibly bruising as they prepare for the upcoming campaign, they’ll be aiming to kick on and return to the play-offs for the first time since 2022.
To do so, the club will be hoping that their recruitment is better ahead of 2025.
Leeds Rhinos signings analysed ahead of Brad Arthur’s first full season
Ryan Hall
For a long period, Hall was the only confirmed new signing for the Rhinos ahead of 2025 with his deal being confirmed before the May 1st deadline even landed.
Since then, other recruits have been confirmed but Hall alone brings over 300 career tries, seven Super League titles, two Challenge Cups and an NRL Premiership, even if he did only made six appearances at the Roosters in 2019.
He returns to a side where he spent 12 Super League seasons and made over 300 appearances, after spending a spell with Hull KR that saw him reach both a Challenge Cup final and a Super League Grand Final.
In him and Ash Handley, Leeds Rhinos will be ferocious on the wings, with Super League experience and try-scoring a-plenty.
Jake Connor
There’s not much about Jake Connor that hasn’t been repeated hundreds of times on Twitter, but after a rough few years with Huddersfield Giants, he’s looking to get back to his best.
Able to play in a number of positions, he can provide cover for full-back Lachie Miller, he can slot into the centres or he can take a half-back role alongside Brodie Croft or Matt Frawley.
If Brad Arthur can get the best out of him, it could be a great signing, but there’s a huge element of risk in the signing with Connor’s attitude often getting in the way of his ability. That was best seen in 2024 when he was deemed to cost Huddersfield Giants the game against St Helens after finding himself in too deep in the battle of winding opposition players up.
Keenan Palasia
A much-needed prop signing, Palasia was a starting front-rower in NRL this year, making 15 appearances for Gold Coast Titans.
The season before, he was named on the bench and featured in the Grand Final for Brisbane Broncos against Penrith Panthers – showing that he can bring a lot to this side.
The 27-year-old, after featuring in five NRL seasons, should add a lot to Arthur’s side and fans will get a chance to see him after he was named to the Samoa squad to take on England in the coming weeks.
Cooper Jenkins
A Queensland Cup winner last year, Jenkins is another prop signing with Leeds Rhinos clearly trying to make up for the losses of forwards such as Rhyse Martin, James Donaldson and Mickael Goudemand.
Just 23 years-old, he’s also a relatively good try-scorer, with seven tries in 2024 from the front row.
It could be a completely new-look prop pairing next year if these two signings get off to a good start.
Maika Sivo
The latest addition to the list after being confirmed as a Leeds Rhinos signing yesterday morning. To celebrate that, the Fijian winger would star as the Bati romped to a 56-6 win over the Cook Islands with Sivo scoring two.
The powerful winger has penned a three-year deal and credited Brad Arthur for the move after having spent his time in the NRL with Parramatta, scoring 104 in 115 games. His early release from the club was a surefire sign that he would move but that has now been confirmed.
One thing that is curious is how Arthur will get all three of Sivo, Ash Handley and fellow recruit Ryan Hall on the field together. With Jake Connor likely to move into the centres alongside Harry Newman, it’s a doubt that any of the three wingers would find a spot in the three or four shirt. Watching that backline balance out will be an interesting one in 2025,