The Sky Sports pundit names the favorite to be Leeds Rhinos’ next head coach

Sky Sports pundit Jon Wells insists he would be amazed if Brad Arthur was not lined up to be Leeds Rhinos’ next head coach – insisting he believes the club’s hierarchy must have had a replacement in mind before parting ways by Rohan Smith.

The Rhinos are on the hunt for Smith’s replacement, with the race to succeed him at AMT Headingley largely thought to be between former Parramatta coach Brad Arthur and Salford boss Paul Rowley.

And Wells, speaking exclusively to Loves Rugby Leagueinsists he thought Arthur was the obvious candidate – and that Gary Hetherington may always have had someone in mind before deciding on Smith’s eventual exit.

“I also don’t believe for a second that an operator with Gary Hetherington’s experience is making the call to remove a head coach without having an idea of ​​who the replacement can be,” Wells said.

“At the time of the decision, there was a proven NRL coach sitting idle in the form of Brad Arthur, who left the Parramatta Eels in May. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t installed as head coach at Leeds before the end of the season.”

Wells also suggested he believed Rowley’s eventual preference might be to stay with Salford.

He said: “As for Paul Rowley, for us he will always be the ‘2+2=4’ candidate after Ian Blease’s defection from the Red Devils to the Rhinos the previous week.

READ NEXT: Leeds Rhinos legend Barrie McDermott named ‘best man’ to replace Rohan Smith

“Rowley is clearly a talented manager but he has also expressed his desire to continue at Salford and has made it clear that he has unfinished business at Salford. That said, I’m ready to be proven wrong: he was rumored to be close to joining Hull FC following offers from West Hull earlier in the campaign.”

Wells also suggested that he felt there was a perception that the Leeds hierarchy “pulled the trigger too soon” on Smith, judging by the subsequent reaction.

“Leeds will always be in the spotlight in 2024,” he said.

“Partly due to the number of high-profile signings, including Brodie Croft and Andy Ackers, but also because everyone expected them to regain their position as a top-six after a spell in the relative wilderness for a club with the financial clout and the support base Leeds have.

“So a run of disappointing performances – albeit at 50% with 7 wins and 7 losses leading up to the week Rohan and the club parted ways – was not surprising in that context. But there is a lingering feeling, perhaps not among Leeds fans but in the wider rugby league community, that perhaps the trigger was pulled too soon by the Rhinos’ boardroom.

“I always look for player reaction when decisions like this are made and it’s clear from the number of high-profile players who have expressed their frustration with Smith’s exit that they felt he was the right man left to navigate this time of the season and Start putting pressure on those places outside the top three in the next 12 weeks or so.”

READ NEXT: Rowley or Arthur? Leeds Rhinos Candidates Record Breakdown, Style & More