Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur has agreed a two-year extension to his contract with the club.
The new contract will keep him at AMT Headingley until at least the end of the 2028 Betfred Super League season.
The 52-year-old Australian took over in July 2024, initially for the final 10 games of that season, and guided them to eighth before continuing to improve to fourth in 2025.
Leeds are top of the Betfred Super League table after Thursday night’s 24-16 win over St Helens.
Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports when the deal was announced, the Australian said: “I’m excited about the direction the club is going in. I’m very grateful for the time I’ve had at the club. It’s a great club, it’s full of great people.
“A big motivation for me wanting to stay longer was the buy-in from the playing group. They asked for some high expectations and some accountability, and today they are delivering on that.
“And so it was quite important that we made a decision for my family. My wife and daughter, Michelle and Charlotte, traveled to the other side of the world with me and it’s important that they had a bit of security locked down and know what we’re doing going forward.
“It’s good news for me as a father and as a family man, it’s good news for me as a coach and I’m sure the club is happy about it.”
This deal is longer than the one-year contract he had previously insisted on and he is now looking forward to rebuilding his squad this summer.
“The fact that it’s a two-year deal, it’s just my way of committing to the club for the commitment they’ve shown me.
“I also get a lot of benefits out of it, and I’m sure the club will.
“We have a good stock of young guys coming through and I’m excited. We have a great team right now and we have a little bit of turnover in our roster coming into the end of the year.
“We’ve done that over the last two seasons and I’m sure we’ll have as good a squad next year as we have right now.”
Leeds were once the dominant force in Super League, but it has been nine years since their last Grand Final.
Arthur says he is keen to bring success back to Yorkshire and says Thursday night’s win over title rivals St Helens proves they have a chance.
“The club and the playing group are desperate for success, and you can see that.
“There’s still a long way to go. What we’re probably chasing harder at the moment is just that week-to-week grind and consistency and being a reliable team. We’re slowly getting there.
“We showed some really good signs last night of improved composure under pressure in the second half. Just two months ago these kinds of games would have been a loss.
“We’re learning some lessons along the way. You can see the growth in the team, where it’s definitely not a finished product yet, and there’s a lot of good teams in this competition, so we’re definitely going to be under some pressure over the next month or so.”
Leeds sporting director Ian Blease believes Arthur is the right man to lead the club into the future.
He said: “This is a hugely important announcement for Leeds Rhinos. Brad has brought outstanding leadership, professionalism and clarity to our rugby program since joining the club.
“He has earned the respect of everyone across the organization through his work ethic, standards and commitment to improving the team every day.
“We have been extremely impressed with the progress made under Brad’s leadership and, just as importantly, the culture he has helped create across the club. There is a shared belief in where we are going and securing Brad’s future enables us to continue to build a squad capable of challenging for major honours.
“Brad is one of the most respected coaches in the game and we are delighted that he has committed his future to Leeds Rhinos until the end of the 2028 season.”
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Leeds Rhinos sporting director Ian Blease is this week’s guest on The Bench with Jenna and Jon
Superligaen 2026 – key dates and what to look out for
- Superliga in Paris: Sat 6 June: Catalans Dragons vs Wigan Warriors (Paris)18.30 UK (Sky Sports)
- Magic weekend: July 4-5 July
- Rivals Round Reverse: July 23-26. July
- Elimination Playoffs: September 19-20. September
- Play-off semi-finals: September 26-27 September
- Grand Final: October 3, Old Trafford
Sky Sports will once again show every game in the Super League live this season – including two games in each round exclusively live, with the remaining five games each week shown on Sky Sports+