Brad Arthur‘s stint away from coaching is set to be a short one, with the former Parramatta boss the front-runner to land the vacant Leeds job. The Super League club parted ways with their Australian coach Rohan Smith this week and have immediately set their sights on a big name to replace him.
Arthur has expressed interest in the gig but may have to see off a challenge from another recently sacked NRL coach – ex-Souths chief Jason Demetriou – to get the nod. Fifty-year-old Arthur was shown the door last month after a poor start to the 2024 NRL season, ending his decade-plus run at the Eels.
He stated a strong desire to stay in coaching and is believed to have informed Leeds he is keen on the job. Arthur feels he is at the right stage of his life and career to experience a new challenge and coach overseas.
At the time of his sacking, he said: “In 11 years I’ve been able to look after my family, made lots of great friendships, learnt so much about rugby league, learned a lot about managing people and expectations and most importantly got to experience the excitement of an NRL grand final week and game without getting the desired result.
“After a short break I look forward to new opportunities and challenges. I feel I still have plenty to give. I know I’ve made mistakes but I feel like I’ve got a few things right too.”
Leeds Rhinos sack Rohan Smith
Leeds removed Smith, the son of former Parramatta coach Brian Smith, following a string of poor results which has left the club in seventh position on the Super League table after 14 rounds. “It is fair to say the Rhinos results and performances this season have not met all our expectations to get us back to where we want to be,” CEO Gary Hetherington said.
“The board has a long-term strategy for where we want the club to be in the future, which started with the appointment of Ian Blease as our first sporting director. Ian is now carefully considering our options moving forward before making his recommendations to the board.”
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Smith said: “I believe this team can still achieve great things and I am proud of the work that the coaching team have done to develop players, especially the next generations. Unfortunately, I will not be head coach to see this development continue but I look forward to watching the club’s future successes and wish everyone at the club all the best for the future.”
Smith joined the Rhinos in 2022, taking them to the Super League grand final in his first year. His next move is unclear.