Leeds Rhinos close to deal with key duo as coach makes 'want to stay' prediction
Leeds Rhinos are “very close” to agreeing a new deal with in-demand prop Tom Holroyd, coach Brad Arthur says.
Rhinos today confirmed 21-year-old forward Morgan Gannon will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of this season. He is headed for the southern hemisphere NRL, but Arthur reckons there’s no reason for others to want a move away.
As previously reported, Leeds are keen to keep hold of pack men Holroyd and James Bentley, who are also in the final year of their deal. The Yorkshire Evening Post understands Bentley is likely to remain at Leeds and Arthur is hopeful of a positive outcome to talks between Holroyd and sporting director Ian Blease, despite interest from rival clubs.
Speaking at his weekly preview press conference today, ahead of tomorrow’s visit of Hull KR, Arthur said: “Bleasey is all over it and he is very close. The thing is, all these guys want to stay. They know they’ve got a good, tight group and we are getting a bit better each week.
“We’re still not perfect and we’ve got a lot of work to do, but they like training together and they like training hard and working hard for each other. There’s a good feel around the club and good leadership from above and direction, so there’s no reason for them to not want to be here.”
Meanwhile, Arthur confirmed Gannon remains a key part of his plans for this season and will retain his place in the starting lineup against Hull KR. He said: “He wants to go and challenge himself in the NRL, there’s not a lot you can do about it. It is disappointing, but we’ll move on.
“The club is in good hands moving forward and he has told the boys he is committed to the rest of this season. He has got a good, level head on him and he’ll want to make sure he is leaving on the right foot. It won’t be a distraction, at all.”
Arthur insisted: “The boys are quite happy for him to go and challenge himself. It’s bitter-sweet, they would rather he be here and be part of this team and club moving forward, but on the other hand, they get it and understand the situation and support it. Their priority is to make sure they continue to treat him the same and we all do and we get the best we can out of him with his football. He is still young and still developing. He feels the time is right now, but he has definitely got the potential to go over there and challenge himself.”
Arthur - who spent a decade in charge of Parramatta Eels - doubts there will be a mass exodus to the NRL, despite that competition’s higher salary cap. He said: “You’re talking about a couple of players. There’s a lot of good players over here and good players who are comfortable over here, so I don’t think so. You can [earn more in Australia], but you’re talking about a very few. I think the guys over here are quite comfortable with where their earnings are at.”
Gannon’s exit will create some space on Rhinos’ salary cap and they will have at least a couple of overseas quota spots available if, as expected, Matt Frawley and Sam Lisone move on when their deals expire at the end of this season. Arthur said: “At the moment the focus is more on retaining the guys we’ve got. Once that has been completed we’ll look at what’s next. Every decision is what’s going to be best for the club moving forward.”