Sky Sports Pundit Suggests Brad Arthur as Next Leeds Rhinos Boss
Sky Sports pundit Jon Wells believes that Parramatta Eels’ former head coach Brad Arthur is the obvious candidate to become the next Leeds Rhinos boss, suggesting the club’s hierarchy may have had a replacement in mind before parting ways with Rohan Smith.
The Rhinos are currently searching for Smith’s successor, with Arthur and Salford Red Devils’ Paul Rowley seen as the frontrunners for the role at the iconic AMT Headingley stadium.
Speaking exclusively to Love Rugby League, Wells asserted that an experienced operator like Leeds’ chief executive Gary Hetherington would not have made the decision to remove Smith without already having a potential replacement lined up.
“I also don’t believe for a second that an operator with the experience of Gary Hetherington makes a call on removing a head coach without an idea of who the replacement may be,” the Sky Sports pundit commented. “At the time of the decision, there was a proven NRL coach sitting idle in the form of Brad Arthur, having left the Parramatta Eels back in May. I would be surprised if he wasn’t installed as head coach at Leeds before the end of the season.”
While acknowledging Rowley’s coaching talents, Wells hinted that the Salford boss may prefer to remain with the Red Devils, where he has expressed a desire to complete “unfinished business.”
The pundit also suggested there was a perception that the Leeds hierarchy “pulled the trigger too soon” on Smith, citing the subsequent reaction from the club’s high-profile players who felt he remained the right man to guide the team through the remainder of the season.
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