Here's the surprise way Leeds Rhinos coach Brad Arthur broke 'I'm staying' news to delighted players
It was the news they were all waiting for, but there was no fanfare when Brad Arthur told his players he is staying on as Leeds Rhinos coach next year.
Arthur kept his promise to give the club a decision today (Monday) after being offered a contract for 2026 and broke the news to his squad at their Kirkstall training base. But co-captain Ash Handley revealed there was no big announcement.
He said. “He wanted to do it as discreetly as possible and just stuck his head round the kitchen, said ‘I’m staying’ and walked away. He didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, but everyone’s really happy.
“What we have done this year with him has been a pretty big turnaround and I think we need him moving forward, just to keep implementing the changes he has made. There’s a good feel around the place.”
Rhinos are fifth in Betfred Super League, just a point behind third-placed Leigh Leopards, who they beat 22-14 last Thursday. Arthur’s first game since signing his new terms is a derby at Castleford Tigers on Saturday.
The 51-year-old former Parramatta Eels boss signed a one-season contract 12 months ago, after initially arriving on a 10-game deal and there has been intense speculation over whether he would stay on next term or return to Australia. Handley said the club did the right thing by not rushing him into a decision.
He added: “Everyone has respected it and gave him time to rethink about it and process it. He is an honest person and he kept us in the loop all the way through about what he was thinking and how he was feeling.
“He was making a decision that was best for his family. We have all done a good job to make him feel welcome here and he said it is impossible for him to leave, how much he likes it, so it’s really good.”
Rhinos have had a succession of coaches since four-time Grand Final-winner Brian McDermott left the club eight years ago. Handley admitted: “It is what we’ve needed massively, the continuity. You struggle to have that consistency when there’s a lot of change all the time.
“There’s a lot of evidence to back up the fact if people have been there a long time and you are getting used to certain processes and how you go about things day to day, it can lead to success. Hopefully we can keep him for a while and win some trophies.”
Under Arthur, Handley was appointed captain ahead of this season and converted from wing to centre. “He is constantly challenging me as a player and a person and as a captain,” Handley stated. “I am really grateful to have someone like that coaching us; with the knowledge he has of the game, we are learning off him every day. He is so intense, but the detail he has got on every part of the game is unbelievable. He has been brilliant.”