Following Leeds Rhinos’ 30-4 victory over Wigan Warriors, head coach Brad Arthur has urged his players to consistently deliver such high-level performances if he is to consider committing his future to the club.
At present, Arthur’s contract runs only until the end of the season. However, he has left the possibility of an extended stay open. While he has previously mentioned that he’s not in a hurry to leave and is considering his NRL ambitions, he has indicated he might be willing to remain with Leeds.
Arthur has outlined a key condition for his continued presence: he wants to stay only if he believes he can make a meaningful impact. He emphasized that this decision will also depend on the commitment and performance of the players, stating, “I only want to stay if I feel like I can make a difference, and that’s going to be determined by the playing group as well, isn’t it?”
Saturday’s performance indicates that the players are keen for Arthur to remain at the club, as Leeds Rhinos kept their playoff hopes alive with a decisive victory over champions Wigan Warriors at Headingley.
In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, when asked if the players had responded to his call, Arthur acknowledged their effort but outlined what is needed for him to commit long-term. “They need to show me that again next week and then the week after that,” he said.
Leeds Rhinos “worked their backsides off” during their match against Wigan Warriors, according to head coach Brad Arthur.
Credit: Imago Images
If last week’s disappointing loss to Salford Red Devils seemed to dash Leeds Rhinos’ playoff hopes, their recent performance has shown that they are still very much in contention.
To secure a playoff spot, Leeds likely needs to win five of their remaining six fixtures, or possibly four and rely on favorable results elsewhere. While replicating their top form from the Wigan match might be challenging, Arthur identified areas for improvement despite the strong showing.
Arthur commented: “We’ve been striving for that 80-minute effort, and I thought we achieved that today. I’m disappointed that we conceded a try because I felt we had done enough and worked hard enough.”
He added that there were moments of lacking detail under pressure, noting, “We’re improving, and you can see progress. However, when we get tired, sometimes our markers fall back instead of maintaining our defensive line.”
Despite these minor criticisms, Arthur acknowledged the difficulty in being critical given the impressive nature of the performance: “It’s very hard for me to be critical because they’ve worked their backsides off today.”
Leeds will aim to continue their strong form against Warrington Wolves on Saturday at Magic Weekend, with the advantage of playing at Elland Road, their home city venue.