Leeds Rhinos’ Ian Blease speaks out Brad Arthur’s future with deadline set

Leeds Rhinos sporting director Ian Blease expects to have clarity on whether Brad Arthur will remain at Headingley within the next month.

Arthur is only contracted to the end of the Super League season and he is yet to make a formal decision, one way or the other, on whether he wants to stick around in England. The head coach has made no secret of his desire to return to Australia in the not too distant future but given the job he has done, with Leeds currently in third, the club are keen to keep hold of him for at least one more season.

That process is ongoing with regular conversations taking place between the relevant parties about where Arthur’s future might lie. However the uncertainty cannot be allowed to stretch towards the end of the season with Leeds needing to know what Arthur’s plans are before looking ahead to next year or beyond.

Blease knows that and he has high hopes of getting an answer out of Arthur in July.

“We work next door to each other and we see each other every day,” Blease said while speaking on Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast. “We’ve been open and honest with each other since day one, still to this day we are open and honest.

“I know where he’s at, he’s shared his thoughts about going back to Australia, will that happen? I don’t know. Is he keen to stay here? Yes, probably. Does it change, week in, week out? There’s a bit of that because the Perth job was there but that’s not there now.

“He probably would take an NRL job at some point. My job is to convince him to stay here, the players are convincing him bit by bit but he will have a decision to make, we all will pretty soon.

“Probably within the next month or so, we need, which we’ve had, a professional, open and honest conversation about what’s it looking like, because I’m looking at 2027 for recruitment. I always involve the head coach in that.”

Asked how long any proposed extension could be, Blease added: “I would suggest it would be one year with an option, hopefully. What side that option would be would be down to negotiations.”

Ian Blease on Leeds Rhinos’ ‘Plan B’

Of course, if Arthur decides against sticking around then Leeds would need to find an alternative quickly to give themselves the time they need to properly prepare for the next season.

Former Catalans Dragons boss Steve McNamara is one of those who has been linked to the position, while there are a raft of other head coaches who would jump at the chance to take on such a position.

On the prospect of needing to replace Arthur, Blease said: “I have my finger on the pulse with everything to do with rugby so when we make that decision with Brad, or both of those make that decision, then I’ll go into recruiting either Plan B or Plan C.”