Trial by video, why Watkins was signed, Super Mac & Brad Arthur's future: latest Leeds Rhinos talking points

Though there’s mounting doubt over whether Brad Arthur will stay at the club, they got back to winning ways with a 28-0 victory at Salford Red Devils, re-signed three-time Grand Final winner Kallum Watkins and are close to agreeing new deals with several first-choice players. Here’s five talking points.

1: The two points and clean sheet were very welcome, but the feeling among players, staff and fans after the Salford game was Rhinos didn’t play well, in a drab encounter. That’s a reflection of rising standards and expectations.

It was the sort of challenge Rhinos have failed in recent seasons, for example the debacles at Wakefield Trinity in 2023 and Hull FC last year and Leeds tend to under-perform in games they are expected to win. Their long build-up, Salford’s continuing crisis and the home side’s makeshift squad meant everything was in Rhinos’ favour, which brings its own pressure.

It wasn’t a contender for game or performance of the year and, overall, Leeds played better in defeat at Warrington Wolves in the previous Betfred Super League round, but an away win and no points conceded, when they were down to 12 men for a quarter of the match and missing their first-choice six, nine and 13, represents a decent night’s work. The fact they weren’t happy is an encouraging sign.

2: Rhinos have had three sin-binnings in two games, all for shoulder on head contact. Keenan Palasia was banished against both Warrington - which didn’t result in a disciplinary charge - and Salford and Mikolaj Oledzki was also shown a yellow card last week.

In each case, the opposition player stayed down, the crowd yelled “booooooooooo” when the incident was replayed on the big screen and, once the Leeds man had departed, the ball carrier played on. There is a procedure for dealing with such alleged foul play, when the match review panel meets on a Monday morning and of course it has to be punished, but during a game isn’t the ideal time for trial by video.

It’s an issue across Super League. Players know if they take their time getting up, there’s a chance the incident will be reviewed and a card produced, even if no injury is caused. When a player stays down after taking a blow to the noggin, a spell off the field for a head injury assessment should be mandatory.

3: It’ll be interesting to see where Kallum Watkins fits in when he plays his first game for Leeds since 2019, but there’s no doubt why Rhinos have brought their former captain back. There’s a long-term plan for when Watkins eventually hangs up his boots, but he is still a very good player who adds leadership qualities to the group, can play in a number of different positions and is a line-breaking runner.

His vast experience will be handy in tight games, of which there will be many this season and competition for places is always a good thing. Two players who might feel Watkins breathing down their neck, second-row James McDonnell and substitute prop Sam Lisone, both had big games at Salford. And for all the talk of Rhinos becoming a Dad’s Army, only seven of the current 32-strong full-time squad are aged 30 or older.

4: Most of former coach Rohan Smith’s ‘project’ signings didn’t work out, but Rhinos should be grateful he brought McDonnell to the club. The Ireland international has missed only six games since joining Rhinos from Wigan Warriors ahead of the 2023 season and is an unsung hero - a player who puts in a huge amount of work every week, but rarely grabs the headlines.

That might change as his partnership with Jake Connor develops, having produced five tries in the past two games. McDonnell grabbed four against Salford, was unfortunate to have a fifth ruled out and is Leeds’ joint leading try scorer in Super League, alongside Riley Lumb. At 25, he is only going to get better. The YEP revealed this week he is on the verge of signing a new contract and that’s excellent news for him and the club.

5: Coach Brad Arthur is genuinely torn about whether to stay at Rhinos when his contract expires at the end of this year. The Australian is making a big impact, Leeds are becoming a better team with him at the helm and he likes it here, but as a family man, it is tough being apart from sons Matt and Jake Arthur, who both play in the southern hemisphere NRL.

If they were an hour or two’s flight away, he would have put pen to paper by now, but it seems increasingly likely he will head home after this season. While the club will need an answer soon, the fact he is still undecided says a lot about the way he has been received in Leeds. To his credit, Arthur has kept Rhinos informed throughout and sporting director Ian Blease is smart enough to have a contingency plan in place.