The 5 Leeds Rhinos players set to benefit most from Brad Arthur’s arrival in Super League
Harry Newman, Matt Frawley & Paul Momirovski (circles) are three of the Leeds Rhinos players we believe new head coach Brad Arthur (main image) could transform
Leeds Rhinos have now confirmed the appointment of new head coach Brad Arthur, who succeeds Rohan Smith at Headingley having penned a short-term contract until the end of the season.
Arthur inherits a Rhinos side sat 7th in the Super League table, two points outside the top six and accordingly the play-off spots.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but we feel if the Australian is to succeed at Leeds, he needs to transform the fortunes of this quintet…
Matt Frawley
Frawley arrived at Headingley ahead of 2024 from Canberra Raiders, penning a two-year deal with the Rhinos.
His last stint in Super League, coming in 2019 with Huddersfield Giants, wasn’t exactly a memorable one. And so far, his time with Leeds hasn’t been either.
The half-back never seemed to click into gear under former boss Smith, but Arthur’s style is somewhat more structured, and we feel that could really help him.
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Paul Momirovski
Momirovski had only made 38 NRL appearances when he joined Leeds ahead of this season, and his 28th birthday is coming up later this month.
This move felt like a chance for him to really show what he could do, and that really hasn’t happened on a regular enough basis so far.
Given their time in the NRL, Arthur will come in with a better understanding of him than Smith ever had, you’d wager. Something needs to click for the centre.
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Harry Newman
‘Transform’ is perhaps the wrong word for Newman, because at times we’ve seen how good he can be. That’s been the case at points this season, even in spite of some woeful showings from the Rhinos.
But at the same time, we’ve also seen some really poor performances from him on an individual level. Ones where you’d have been forgiven for forgetting he was even on the field, almost as if he was shying away from trying to make something happen.
Arthur comes in and simply needs to get consistency into the centre’s game. Get him excelling every week, and Leeds will be on the right track.
Justin Sangare
Sangare isn’t alone in this, but so often this season, he’s just been miles off where his team-mates have needed him to be.
The 26-year-old is at that stage of his career now where he needs to start stepping up, being accountable and taking responsibility for leading his team up the field with powerful carries, and equally, helping to keep the opposition out heading in the other direction.
Neither of those have been characteristics have been prominent enough in the prop’s game this season, and realistically, they haven’t been since he arrived at Headingley last year. We suspect he’ll be one Arthur will want vast improvement from.
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Cameron Smith
It almost feels as though the weight of responsibility that has come with the Rhinos’ captaincy has been too heavy for Smith, on the field that is.
We feel he’s been an exemplary leader off it, particularly in the way he addressed the television cameras just a few hours after the passing of rugby league icon & Rhinos legend Rob Burrow.
But on the field, it’s as if the captaincy has led to Smith taking a backward step. When Leeds attack and the ball is in his hands, the play tends to slow down. Again, given Arthur’s more structured playbook, he could well benefit and get back to his best.
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