Revealed: why Ash Handley will be at centre this year as Leeds Rhinos boss relishes Wigan Warriors 'test'

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Coach Brad Arthur has explained his decision to convert Leeds Rhinos’ co-captain Ash Handley from wing to centre this season.

Coach Brad Arthur has explained his decision to convert Leeds Rhinos’ co-captain Ash Handley from wing to centre this season.

Handley will start his testimonial game against Wigan Warriors on Sunday in the left-centre, inside new signing Maika Sivo. Ryan Hall, another off-season recruit, will be on the other flank, alongside Harry Newman.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Handley was Rhinos’ player of the year last season - when he scored 14 tries in 19 games - and has spent most of his 10 years in the first team as a winger, but Arthur insisted it wasn’t a difficult decision to make the switch. “It obviously helps with the two recruits we got for the two wings,” the team boss said.

Ash Handley will play at centre for Leeds Rhinos this season. Picture by Tony Johnson.Ash Handley will play at centre for Leeds Rhinos this season. Picture by Tony Johnson.
Ash Handley will play at centre for Leeds Rhinos this season. Picture by Tony Johnson.

“I knew Hally was coming, but before we signed Maika it was always my plan to move Harry [Newman] to the other side of the field and put Ash in the centres, because I think there’s more to him than being a finisher.

“I think he can be a finisher and a creator. He moves nice and smooth, he has got good catch-pass and I’d like to see him with a bit more space. That was behind the move.”

Read More
Leeds Rhinos news: star man to miss start of season but long-term casualty retur...

Handley made his debut in 2014 and has scored 127 tries in 212 games for Leeds. He was a Challenge Cup winner, bagging a brace of touchdowns at Wembley, in 2020 and has been capped twice by England.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Ash Handley has been hailed by Leeds Rhinos coach Brad Arthur as a "really good leader". Picture by by Tony Johnson.Ash Handley has been hailed by Leeds Rhinos coach Brad Arthur as a "really good leader". Picture by by Tony Johnson.
Ash Handley has been hailed by Leeds Rhinos coach Brad Arthur as a "really good leader". Picture by by Tony Johnson.

Arthur appointed Handley as co-captain for 2025, alongside Cameron Smith and hailed the 28-year-old as a “really good leader”. He said: “When he talks, the boys listen. He is an action-first person, he leads with his actions and he drives through his actions, but he’s also not afraid, regardless of who it is, to hold people accountable and to drive standards, whether they are player number 30 or player number one.

“That’s what I really like about him. He is respected a lot by the boys and hopefully they show him how much they respect him with their effort and the way we want to try and play on Sunday.”

Handley’s testimonial is Rhinos’ second and final warm-up game ahead of their Betfred Challenge Cup opener against Wests Tigers or British Army in two weeks’ time. Their Super League campaign begins at home to Wakefield Trinity on Saturday, February 15.

Arthur has named his strongest-available starting side and will give some young players an opportunity off the bench after half time. He confirmed: “I’ve spoken to [Wigan coach] Matt Peet and he is putting out a really strong side early - like we are - and the second half will probably be filled with a lot of the kids from both teams.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Rhinos will wear a one-off kit in Ash Handley's testimonial game on Sunday. Picture by Leeds RhinosRhinos will wear a one-off kit in Ash Handley's testimonial game on Sunday. Picture by Leeds Rhinos
Rhinos will wear a one-off kit in Ash Handley's testimonial game on Sunday. Picture by Leeds Rhinos

“I think both teams will just be looking to see where they are at physically from their pre-season. There’s no points on the line, but it will be a really good test. We’ve done a lot of hard work, but we’ll see where we are physically, up against the best team in the comp. We will have a good indication of what we need to do to get right for round one.”

Leeds beat Trinity 18-16 on Boxing Day and Arthur declared himself “really happy with the way the boys have trained and their buy-in” since then. But he stressed: “Unfortunately, we don’t get judged on how we train, we get judged on how we play .

“We are working hard, but every team is working hard. You can only get there through hard work, but at the end of the day, the 80 minutes is the most important thing all week and we have got to do that every week.

“We have really prioritised what we do in the 80 minutes, but in saying that, I am very happy with how they have trained. Now the hard thing is, they’ve got to transfer that to the field.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Leeds news you can trust since 1890
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice