Leeds Rhinos standout Jake Connor has labelled past criticism ‘fair’ with the Man of Steel explaining how Brad Arthur has changed his career and taken him to a new level.
There’s never been a doubt regarding the talent of Jake Connor but his attitude has sometimes been questioned, particularly when at Huddersfield Giants with Sky Sports pundit Jon Wilkin previously one of his biggest critics.
Wilkin is now one of Connor’s biggest advocates, and after another strong performance by the Leeds Rhinos playmaker in the club’s 40-22 win over Wakefield Trinity, Wilkin asked Connor about that criticism and whether he felt it was justified.
“No-one likes criticism, but some of it probably was fair. When you’re not playing well and you’re frustrated, sometimes it gets the best of you,” Connor admitted, before pointing out head coach Brad Arthur as the reason why he’s taken such a huge step forward in terms of consistent performances.
“Brad is the best thing that’s happened to me. He’s just taught me how to be calm in situations and with the whole team and not be so erratic.
“You’ve seen me lose my head in the past, I’m not doing that anymore, and he won’t want the credit for that but it’s fully down to him. Since I’ve come here, I’ve had a calm demeanour and it’s helped my game.”
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Leeds Rhinos proving more clinical in 2026 as Jake Connor talks evolving role
Connor’s game improved to such a level last season that he claimed the Man of Steel crown and despite not having as strong a start to the 2026 campaign statistically, many feel that he’s actually improved on 2025.
On that, Connor admitted: “I think I’ve probably changed my role slightly again. At the back end of last year, I started to take more control and I think I’ve fully taken control now.
“You probably saw me run the ball a little bit more last year but at the start of the season, I tore my meniscus so I had a few weeks to get back into it. I didn’t really want to carry the ball, not like I do often anyway, so I’ve just been trying to get us around the park a bit better.”
He also credited the team as being more efficient in 2026, stating: “I’m learning each week and getting behind our kicking game. I feel like when we’re sniffing opportunities, not just me but as a spine, we’re nailing most of them plays. Last year, we probably didn’t nail as much.
“That’s just a connection through the team. We love to throw the ball about but our detail in attack has been unbelievable and everyone’s just sticking to the process at the moment.”
With his form going from strength to strength, Connor is in a strong position to land an England call-up later this year after his Ashes snub of 2025, particularly given that new coach Brian McDermott has sung his praises.
“It’s always nice to hear,” Connor said of McDermott’s comments, however, he added some caution.
“I’ve said before, we’re in round 10 and anything can happen. There’s a lot of good players emerging and I’m definitely putting my hand up. I’ve never played in a World Cup.”
