Leeds Rhinos news: Harry Newman's Hull FC loan explained as coach hails 'great player' and reveals future plan
Coach Brad Arthur has explained Harry Newman’s loan move to rivals Hull FC and revealed his status with Leeds Rhinos for the rest of this season.
Newman played in Rhinos’ opening seven games of 2026, but his place in the right-centre for the past two has been taken by recent signing Jack Bird. Newman, who will join new NRL club Perth Bears next year, today linked up with Hull on an initial one-week deal and is set to feature against St Helens on Thursday.
However, Arthur insisted that is to give the 26-year-old England man game time at the top level and stressed Newman remains part of his plans for the remainder of this campaign. “Harry missed out on selection this week,” Arthur said at his weekly preview press conference today (Tuesday) ahead of Friday’s visit to Huddersfield Giants.
“I spoke to him last week about him needing to get some game time and gave him the weekend to think about it. It has been a couple of weeks since he played and he wants to play at Super League level, which I am supportive of.
“He is here for the season, he is clear on that and we are clear on that. He wants to be here for the season and wants to fight his way back into the team. He will get some game time with Hull this week and that will be a week-to-week proposition. They were in need of a bloke of his quality so it fits for Harry, it fits for us as a club and it fits for Hull.”
Rhinos have no injuries among Rhinos’ first-choice players and Arthur added: “We wanted competition for spots and we have got that. We have a healthy squad and we have got to make the most of it.
“We could be sitting here talking about having 10 injuries. This is a healthy situation, everyone has been open and honest and Harry has taken it the right way and he is going to do something about trying to get himself back in the team.
“Harry is a great player. If he is playing his best footy, he is part of our best team - that’s what we have got to get back to. We are both on the same page with that and this is the best way for him to do it.”
Forward Ben Littlewood, who featured twice off the bench this season and was on loan at Hunslet RLFC last weekend, is set to play for York Knights against Leigh Leopards on Friday on a similar one-week arrangement. Arthur said: “We had a couple of other guys who were close to playing for other clubs, but it didn’t work out this week.
“It is a week-to-week proposition; we have a reserves game this week so those guys will get some game time, but because that’s a fortnightly event we need to make sure we are ticking these guys over with minutes. I hope it doesn’t happen, but things change very quickly around injuries and whatnot.”
The new one-week loan system means players can be loaned out without the risk of weakening their parent club. “They are still our players, they are still part of this team and this club and we want them to feel like that,” Arthur stated.
“We are not sending them out to get rid of them, we are sending them out so they get some game time, get something out of it and keep challenging the rest of the team. We want them to come back each week so they still feel part of Leeds Rhinos, because that’s what they are.
“They are Leeds Rhinos players, they are not going anywhere. We want them here at this club, we are just in a really fortunate position with the health of our squad.”