The 2026 season is still around two months away, however the future of Leeds Rhinos boss Brad Arthur is once again under the spotlight.
After joining the club in 2024, initially on a 10-match deal to see them out until the end of the season, the former Parramatta coach extended his stay for another season, and led the club into 2025.
However, after only signing for one year, Arthur could never seem to escape the questions of what his future looked like, with his ambitions still set on a move to the NRL.
He eventually shut down that noise in August, when he agreed to stay for another 12 months, but with his contract currently a rolling deal, and no long-term future set out for him at the Rhinos, talk has once again picked up over a move back Down Under.
A report from The Mole has stated that, due to the ongoing issues at the Wests Tigers, Arthur is seen as a replacement to replace Benji Marshall, should the club decide to part ways.
The Tigers have had a hectic few weeks, with CEO Shane Richardson and other board members departing their roles of late, following seasons of constant underperformance.
However, the report also states that if Marshall does exit the club, be that on his own accord or by way of termination, a number of key players will also exit, including Jarome Luai, the May brothers, Taylan and Terrell and Jahream Bula, amongst others.
Marshall is currently under contract for the next three seasons, however after being nowhere near the finals in his first two years, the club could be looking to move him on should another poor season happen again.
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Eric T Cat
December 10, 2025 at 9:58 am
Here’s a suggestion, discuss this, managers and headcoaches should have the same system as p,Ayers, they can only be removed, replaced, move, during the off season and an agreed window of employment opportunity. Coaches sometimes don’t get the time they need, Danny McGuire last season springs to mind. Or an unsettled NRL club could devastate a top Super League side, Brad Arthur and Willie Peters are very high on NRL radars, their losses would disrupt the respective clubs enormously. Obviously nobody is irreplaceable, apart from maybe Ellery Hanley who was the best player I’ve ever seen in 61 years but he was the exception, but such a restriction would provide stability for clubs, coaches, players, and their families, by knowing the have a period in which to achieve their goals.
We don’t have the luxury of the money or talent pool of football, maybe we need something different, new, a different approach to dealing with coaching staff?
We could also investigate alternative options for the England coach, as what we have now isn’t working. Perhaps we need assistant coaches guided by a panel? We also need fixed international windows of guaranteed fixtures, at least three per year.
John Dalton
December 10, 2025 at 11:50 am
I totally agree with what Eric has said. Sacking your coach does not come without expense. They have a contract to be paid up, which costs, and usually mid-season alterations do not bring sustainable success. It is the players on the park that win & lose games (and sometimes the tactics).
When you look around all the different sports that there are, a lot of the good ones have a continuity of coaching, even if it does not win their competition. If your team is competitive & put the effort in so that it is seen to do so, that is all you can ask for. In any league, there are winners and losers. It’s just that everyone expects to win all the time – it is NOT going to happen.