Leeds Rhinos coach Brad Arthur reveals why Ash Handley deserves more credit and was 'wasted on the wing'
Boss Brad Arthur says he’s surprised one of Leeds Rhinos’ top players has largely gone under the radar this season.
Arthur switched Ash Handley from wing to centre at the end of 2024 and made him solo captain this year, after he shared duties with Cameron Smith last term. Handley struggled with a groin problem late in the 2025 campaign and missed the opening three matches this year, but has been in outstanding form since making his comeback in the win against Hull KR in Las Vegas two months ago.
“He has been very good,” Arthur said of the 30-year-old who will lead Rhinos in Friday’s four-pointer at home to Wakefield Trinity. “I am surprised there hasn’t been more talk around him.
“Not a lot of people will see his leadership as closely as I do, but that has really grown and gone from strength to strength [as has] the respect he has from the team. I reckon his teammates would say he is a really strong leader now, he drives really strong messages and holds people accountable.
“You can see the importance of the leadership to him with his performance. A good leader can talk the talk, but also has to action it on the field with their habits and their actions. His actions are really good at the moment.
“He does everything we ask him to do in terms of choices around his physicality and his effort on the field and on the back of that he is getting some nice quality touches because he is in position early in attack. His defensive reads are getting better and better each game because he puts himself in the frame and in position to see things unfold. I think he is going really well.”
With Handley playing alongside Betfred Super League’s top try scorer, Maika Sivo, Leeds have a formidable attacking threat on their left-edge. Arthur stressed: “Maika has got 14 tries and I am sure he would credit a lot of those to Ash and his skill. He has a good skill set.”
Handley is still relatively new to the centre role and the coach feels there’s more to come from him. Explaining why he made the surprise decision to move him from wing to centre, Arthur said: “When I first got here I saw his skill set.
“He was a really good finisher, but often wingers are just finishers and not creators. I could see he had a really good knack for being able to create space for other people as well as himself, so why not?
“He has got some silky skill, he has got a flick-pass and a great dummy-half pass, I just think he was wasted on the wing. He has got a bit of speed and a good aerial threat with his size.
“He’s just starting to get comfortable in the role and you can see that with his confidence. I think his best footy is still to come at the end of the year, but I am very happy with the way he has started the season and his focus on his teammates.”