Leeds Rhinos coach Brad Arthur “wanted” by NRL club for surprise role
Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad Arthur
NRL side Newcastle Knights have approached Brad Arthur about joining them in a role to support head coach Adam O’Brien in 2025, reports Down Under have emerged.
Arthur has already made an impact at AMT Headingley during his brief stint with Leeds Rhinos, guiding them to a first win under his leadership in his second match in charge on Thursday night, when they defeated Huddersfield Giants.
But reports are consistently swirling about him returning to Australia at some stage: something Arthur himself has never ruled out, having held talks with the potential new NRL franchise in Perth.
However, there are new suggestions from NRL 360 that Arthur is being lined up to move onto the Knights staff and support his close friend O’Brien in a role supporting him, rather than being a head coach, according to journalists James Hooper and Michael Carayannis.
Host Braith Anasta asked: “Brad Arthur is good mates with Adam O’Brien, is there a chance he ends up at the Knights?
And Hooper said: “The Knights have discussed it and the Knights are keen on it. He’s over at Leeds coaching in the UK Super League at the moment but if they can make it happen, I think they’d like to make it happen.
“Given the events with what’s happened with his young bloke, you’d have to think they are extremely close. I think Adam O’Brien is the godfather to one of BA’s daughter, they played football together for years.
“Newcastle would like for it to happen and have approached Brad about it happening. He’s only signed short-term with Leeds, so it’s a possibility, the Knights like it.”
Carayannis added: “He could do it with Adam because of the relationship they share. I don’t think there’d be too many coaches he could do that with. We saw Adam do it with Anthony Seibold when he was out of work, he became a coaching consultant.
“So at the very least, if Brad’s in Australia, I think that’s the role he’ll have unless it’s a full-time assistant role at the Knights.”
However, Arthur once again left the door ajar to an extended stay with Leeds in the aftermath of Thursday night’s game, saying he had ‘no reason to rush out’ of the Rhinos after enjoying the start to his life in England.
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