Every Leeds Rhinos player’s contract situation with 7 stars’ deals expiring in 2025

Drew Darbyshire 16 Nov 2024 2:01 PM

Ash Handley, Maika Sivo, Mikolaj Oledzki Leeds Rhinos Alamy — From left to right: Ash Handley, Maika Sivo and Mikolaj Oledzki of Leeds Rhinos

The transfer market will kick into life for Super League clubs much earlier than usual in the 2025 season: before a ball has even been kicked, in fact.

That’s because a radical overhaul of the rules surrounding when clubs can engage with players in the last year of their contracts comes into effect next month. From December 1, anyone whose contract expires at the end of the 2025 campaign is free to negotiate with other clubs for 2026.

And at Leeds Rhinos, that makes their contractual situation across the board fairly intriguing: with seven high-profile players about to enter the last year of their existing deals.

The Headingley outfit have made five new signings ahead of Brad Arthur’s first full season in charge, having signed Maika Sivo, Cooper Jenkins and Keenan Palasia from Down Under as well as experienced Super League duo Ryan Hall and Jake Connor.

Meanwhile, the Rhinos have bid farewell to 10 players following the conclusion of the 2024 campaign – James Donaldson (Bradford Bulls), Rhyse Martin (Hull KR), David Fusitu’a (TBC), Luis Roberts (TBC), Corey Johnson (Sheffield Eagles), Kieran Hudson (TBC), Mickael Goudemand (TBC), Leon Ruan (TBC), Paul Momirovski (TBC) and Justin Sangare (Salford Red Devils).

And more recently, the Rhinos announced that young forward Tom Nicholson-Watton had signed a new three-year contract with the club, keeping him at AMT Headingley until at least the end of 2027.

And with Nicholson-Watton’s new deal in mind, what is the contract situation of the rest of Arthur’s squad? Love Rugby League has put together the contractual status of every player in the Rhinos’ ranks and when their existing deal expires…

Off-contract in 2025

James Bentley, Matt Frawley, Morgan Gannon, Tom Holroyd, Sam Lisone, James McDonnell, Mikolaj Oledzki

Off-contract in 2026

Andy Ackers, Brodie Croft, Joe Diskin, Alfie Edgell, Ash Handley, Ned McCormack, Lachie Miller, Harry Newman, Jarrod O’Connor, Jack Sinfield, Cameron Smith, Jake Connor, Cooper Jenkins, Keenan Palasia

Off-contract in 2027

Joe Butterfield, George Brown, Ben Littlewood, Fergus McCormack, Jayemm Oladipupo, Riley Lumb, Marcus Qareqare, Harry Smith, Jacob Stead, Harley Thomas, Tom Nicholson-Watton, Maika Sivo