One Leeds Rhinos star has spoken on the qualities that ex-NRL boss Brad Arthur has brought to the club after being appointed as head coach.
Arthur was axed by Parramatta Eels after ten years with the club but he’d quickly find a new coaching gig as he replaced Rohan Smith and took charge at Headingley for the final ten games of the Super League season.
In a tough run of fixtures to see the season out, Leeds recorded five wins and five losses with the Australian at the helm although there was a marked improvement in their performances and their physical playstyle.
The Rhinos missed the play-offs but resumed training for two more weeks as Arthur steeled them for the intense pre-season that they’re currently undergoing, something that has been praised by plenty of players at the club.
One of those who has been less involved in the pre-season as he rehabs an injury is full-back Lachie Miller who is heading into his second season with the club. The Australian appeared on The Lot Pod, an independent Leeds Rhinos podcast, in December and noted his surprise at Arthur’s axing from the NRL and how impressed he was when Leeds managed to hire him.
“I mean I couldn’t believe that Parramatta let him go to be honest,” Miller said.
“He was there for 10 years, he took him to a Grand Final and came second.
“The year that they just had where they did release him, their halves, their fullback, their five-eight all had major injuries. They never had a full-strength roster and then so when they appointed him I was like, ‘Awesome, we’ve just got an NRL coach of 10 years to come over.'”
Arthur’s no-nonsense and to-the-point style of coaching has been noted by other players during the pre-season and Miller confirmed that it’s an approach that has helped raise the standards, even if the 50-year-old is ‘kind of scary’
Miller explained: “He’s firm but really really fair and it’s just put accountability on us as players and then us as a playing group with standards and everything. I think everyone’s making those jokes that he’s scary and he is kind of scary, but he’s in at 5 a.m., he’s allowed to be scary I suppose.”
The 30-year-old, who signed from Newcastle Knights, has previously played rugby sevens but also spent time in the New South Wales Cup. Speaking on the difference between Super League and the competitions Down Under, Miller noted the physicality difference.
“It’s definitely a step up,” he said:.
“You’ve got your New South Wales Cup and Queensland Cup, and then Super Leagues here, and then you sort of NRL.
“Well obviously Super League has won two in a row (World Club Challenges) so you can’t say that but in all fairness, it’s just a different game.
“Like the NRL has different conditions, it’s really quick. I feel like the Super League’s more physical because guys want to bash you up over here.”
