Leeds Rhinos fans make Brad Arthur plea, reveal what's needed to be trophy-winning side

Rhinos coach Brad Arthur’s pledge to make a decision about his future early this month dominates the discussion, with our supporters’ panel keen to see him stay on for at least one more year. Overall, there’s a mood of optimism going into the final seven games of the campaign, though Betfred Super League’s expansion to 14 clubs in 2026 has not been well received.

GAVIN MILLER

For me, this has been the most enjoyable season at Headingley since 2015. I can feel something happening at the club that could be special.

When we lost the 2003 Challenge Cup final we all knew the talented group the club had at the time were learning their lessons in public. This squad is doing the same. I hope Brad Arthur stays and we keep the growth curve going.

My only criticism is, the group are missing a stone cold killer that can turn a game on a sixpence and get us out of trouble in a tight clash - a Iestyn Harris, Danny McGuire, Rob Burrow or Bevan French. Until we get one, we won’t win anything.

It’s so nice to be talking about play-offs and wanting to get behind the team and their efforts though. Long may it continue.

A week off was nice to recharge the batteries and get ready for this Thursday’s game, but it’s a must-win encounter against Leigh. A week off is great if it’s backed up with a victory. Following the loss the week before the break it becomes even more essential.

BECKY OXLEY

You can feel the anticipation around supporters wanting to know if Brad Arthur is going to be with us or not next season. It must be the question he dreads in every interview. It has been asked every week since the start of the season.

I’m hoping no news is good news and he is staying. He has done a great job for us since he arrived a little over a year ago and the team and supporters have a lot of respect for him, but I will totally understand if he does go home. Then the question will come as to who will take his place.

Congratulations to Jarrod O’Connor and his wife on the birth of their son Ruari and also to Cameron Smith on his engagement. There have been a lot of lovely things happening in the split round of Super League and our week off. The business end of the season is here and we have only seven games left. I don’t know where time has gone. It doesn’t seem like two minutes since the season started.

We are in fifth position going into Thursday’s game at Leigh which is an important game and a definite four-pointer. We will finish in the top-six and I think a fifth place will be where we end up.

IAIN SHARP

I reckon you’ll get a free abacus with your season ticket soon. You’ll need it to keep up with

some of the blow-out scores we’ll see next season as Super League expands to 14 teams. About the only good thing to come from the move is the ending of the dismal ‘loop’ fixtures.

There isn’t sufficient quality in the British game to sustain 12 competitive teams - as the recent international train-on squad demonstrated, with half the teams in the league contributing zilch - let alone 14. I understand Qantas are already planning additional flights to Manchester to get all the extra antipodean players over.

The RFL appointed IMG, one of the world’s most successful sports marketing organisations, to make a number of recommendations to boost the game, at huge cost. Those suggestions were then promptly binned off by a bunch of luddites with all the global business acumen of running a greengrocer’s and who attend the meetings merely to find out what type of pies are dished up.

I’m all for making the game better, but many of the ideas are given too short a time to make them work: franchises, super-eights, promotion and relegation and back to franchises again. If I had a crystal ball, I couldn’t look into it. I despair at times about the future of rugby league in this country.

DAVID MUHL

This week I was hoping I’d be able to write about the good news that Brad Arthur had decided to stay, but so far there has been no update. If, at the beginning of the season, someone had said to me we’d be fifth in the league with 20 rounds played, behind St Helens on points difference, I would not have believed them. The team have played well overall; of the seven league games we have lost, five have been by six points or fewer.

It has been clear for all to see the difference Brad has made to the players. There is still a long way to go, hence why I think it should be our number one priority to keep him at Headingley. The star man so far this year has been Jake Connor, I’ll be honest, when we signed him my reaction was ‘why’? I had a similar reaction when we re-signed Kallum Watkins, thinking he was too old and past his best, but he has been outstanding in every facet of the game. Our pack has looked strong so far, with Mik Oledzki being back to his best before suffering a nasty injury.

There has been lots of discussion among the fans about Sam Lisone signing for Hull, but personally I am not too bothered. I have always thought he’s a bit of a luxury player and we have some good youngsters coming through who should be able to play longer minutes.

We have given a good crop of youngsters their chance this year: Riley Lumb, Presley Cassell and Alfie Edgell. Anyone who watches the reserves and junior games will know there’s plenty more to come with Leeds providing 11 players to the victorious Yorkshire side in the recent Origin academy match, Here’s to a strong finish and a good show in the play-offs.