Brad Arthur has confirmed that he made the decision to renew his deal at Leeds Rhinos the morning after his side defeated St Helens, revealing that after sleeping on the comeback victory, he knew it was time to ‘just do it’.
The Rhinos beat Saints last Thursday night and an impromptu announcement came at 2:45 pm the day after, confirming that Arthur had committed to Leeds for another two seasons.
It was significant that the decision came way ahead of the June 30th deadline that the Australian had imposed but even more significant was the fact it was a two-year deal, ensuring that the same discussions are not had next year.
Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds on Wednesday, Arthur explained the decision was ‘pretty easy’, stating: “I’ve really enjoyed my time here. I’m grateful for the things I’ve already said before, the opportunity the club’s given me. It’s in good hands.”
On the timing of the announcement, Arthur added: “Me and Bleasey (sporting director, Ian Blease) had been talking about it for a while, on where things were heading. It just got to a stage after that (St Helens) game. I just woke up and spoke to Michelle and said, we know what we want to do, let’s just do it.”
“It certainly helped,” Arthur confirmed when asked if the win over St Helens was that significant to trigger his decision.
“I knew we’d been talking about it for a while, what we wanted to do. The timing was right, I thought. Me and Bleasey had talked about it earlier in the week and just didn’t think doing anything before the game was of value. We didn’t want to take focus off the game because the main priority was about the game and the performance and not me.”
Brad Arthur commits to Leeds Rhinos, Hull KR lose back-to-back and Captain’s Challenge rule debated – Click here to listen to this week’s episode of the Serious About Rugby League Show
Leeds Rhinos boss on legacy, family and Paul Caddick
Arthur’s decision ensures that he and his family have clarity, something he made note of, however, he was keen to thank those above him, in particular one man he forgot to mention last week.
The Australian said: “The other day, probably one of the most important people that I failed to mention or thank was Paul Caddick, the owner. He’s a great supporter of the team and the club and what they provide for us.
“I just think it’s a very good club. It’s an enjoyable club to work for. The players are really bought in and are working hard. I can see some progress and I can see they want to get better. That certainly had a big influence on the decision.”
On how it impacts him, he said: “(It’s also) just a bit of clarity for myself and the family as well. It’s been hard for planning purposes. I’ve got property in Australia and bits and pieces like that. I’m just able to be a bit clearer on what we’re doing. My daughter can be sorted with her uni. My wife’s happy and she’s still gallivanting around, travelling all through Europe.”
Whilst we now know that Arthur will be sticking around at Leeds until at least the end of 2028, he was still asked about what he hopes his legacy can be with the Rhinos.
“Trophies is obviously the ideal goal for every coach, every club, but if you talk to the players, the ones that are leaving and the legacy they want to leave, you want the club to be in a better position,” he explained.
“You want people to say, well, we’re going to miss Brad’s leadership, we want the players that are leaving this year, well, we’re going to miss them next year, that’s the legacy you want to leave instead of you can’t wait to see the back of them. So that’s how I would like it to be.”
