Leeds Rhinos coach Rohan Smith makes 'building for the future' vow as he explains contract renewal spree

Since the start of June, seven players have agreed a new deal and Smith confirmed others are in the pipeline. But nine of Leeds’ full-time squad are in the final year of their terms and none of those has yet re-signed.

Prop Sam Walters has confirmed he will be leaving Rhinos at the end of this season, to join Wigan Warriors and winger Liam Tindall is also understood to have rejected an offer from Leeds.

Three-quarter Nene Macdonald this week committed himself to Rhinos until the end of 2027, new deals will keep winger Ash Handley, hooker Jarrod O’Connor, centre Max Simpson and scrum-half Jack Sinfield with Leeds until the autumn of 2026 and off-season signings Sam Lisone and Justin Sanagare - both front-rowers - have added 12 months to their previous two-year contracts.

“We are taking a long-term view to lots of our recruitment and retention decisions,” Smith said at his weekly preview press conference today (Friday).

“There has been a lot of extensions of late, of players not in the last year of their contract, which is pleasing and building for the future.”

Smith revealed Rhinos are “working through a bunch of extra extensions” and insisted: “For those people who are going to be here long-term, it is important we secure them and get them to feel like Leeds is home.

“I think it is important to lock people in who are part of the three, four, five-year journey we are on here.

“Once people are off-contact, that’s when things can get messy. The player also has the right to wait and be off-contract if he wants to, but it is a two-way street - players want to stay and secure their future and we want to do that as well.

“A lot of our younger players have earned the right to get an extension and an upgrade on their current figure, so we are happy to do that.”

Along with Walters and Tindall, winger David Fusitu’a, stand-off Blake Austin, scrum-half Aidan Sezer, prop Zane Tetevano, second-rower James Bentley, forward James Donaldson and back-rower Joe Gibbons - who is on loan at Keighley Cougars - will be out of contract in November and are free to talk to other clubs.

“We are still working through,” Smith said of that list. “There’s a bunch of decisions to be made and we will announce those in time.”

But clearly, which and how many of those players remain at the club will have a bearing on recruitment for next term.

Rhinos have so far announced only one recruit for 2024, with French international forward Mickael Goudemand set to join them from Catalans Dragons on a two-year deal.

Smith said: “Recruitment and retention is a simultaneous process. There’s no strict timescale, next season doesn’t start until February.

“But we know we have to work through those. There’s some decisions that are pressing and imminent, others evolve in time.

“Those who are off-contract have the opportunity to look elsewhere also. That’s the nature of the contract and nature of the system.”