Leeds Rhinos news: boss Brad Arthur considers 'multi-year deal', insists 'there's nothing I'm not happy about'
Brad Arthur is considering a “multi-year deal” to stay on as Leeds Rhinos coach.
As the Yorkshire Evening Post revealed yesterday (Tuesday), Rhinos’ sporting director Ian Blease has made Arthur a formal offer and asked for a decision by next Monday. The Australian is out of contract at the end of this season and is torn between remaining at Leeds and returning home to be closer to his family.
Arthur today insisted there’s “nothing [in Leeds’ offer] I am not happy about”, but stressed: “Now it’s just, am I prepared to make some decisions based on my family? It’s as simple as that.”
Speaking at his weekly preview press conference, Arthur confirmed: “Me and Bleasey had a good conversation the other day and talked about a multi-year deal with a few options the club’s way and a couple of things for me and I will make a decision on Monday.
“The priority right now is the game tomorrow. Both my boys are playing, Friday and Saturday; I’ll let them focus on their games and then we’ll have a discussion over the weekend and make a decision on Monday.”
Arthur confirmed he is “happy with everything” offered by the club. “There’s nothing there I need to go back and forth on,” he stated. “It is what it is - it’s whether now I decide to stay. I need to have that conversation with my kids, make sure everyone’s comfortable.”
Arthur’s sons, Matt and Jake, both play for Newcastle Knights in the southern hemisphere NRL. The latter is considering a move to Betfred Super League next year and has been linked with Hull FC. That could have an impact on the decision and the Leeds boss said: “It helps, but I have still got another young bloke over there so I am leaving him in the lurch.
“They are all things we are going to discuss on Sunday. It certainly helps having him here, but the other side of it is, if I stay, my daughter’s going to go home. There’s a lot of moving parts to it. I wish it was simple, but it’s not.”
Tomorrow’s game at Leigh Leopards is unlikely to play a decisive part in Arthur’s thinking, though he conceded: “Winning helps.” He said: “The boys have shown me enough that I feel like we are heading in the right direction as a club. The buy-in is there.
“Some games we haven’t managed the best way possible and our tactical discipline might have suffered here or there, but in terms of fight and character, the team has been full of it every game and I can’t ask any more of them of that. Now it’s my job to make sure we are on top of our game tactically all the time, which is a bit of work in progress and something that takes a bit of time.”
Half-back Jake Arthur, 22, is set to make his Knights debut this weekend. His father said: “He is grateful for that opportunity, but he has got an opportunity over here where he might be able to run his own team. I’ve told him it’s a good competition over here and given him my view on it. Now it’s up to him what he does. It would be a tragedy if I am going one way and he’s coming the other, wouldn’t it?”