Leeds Rhinos have seen a third player confirmed to be leaving for NRL club Perth Bears, something that has prompted talks of a rebuild but are those concerns valid or unfounded?

Mikolaj Oledzki is the latest man to be headed to Perth, with the incoming NRL club now having made Headingley the hunting ground for three of their 16 signings.

Centre Harry Newman was among the first two recruits alongside Catalans’ Toby Sexton whilst second-rower James McDonnell has also signed up, with both of those players off-contract at Leeds at the end of the season.

The difference with Oledzki is that he had only signed a new deal last year, with the England international actually contracted at Headingley until 2028. As such, it’s likely that the Bears have had to compensate the Rhinos but homegrown England internationals aren’t exactly easy to replace.

For those reasons, many have suggested that Leeds are set to enter a rebuild phase. We’ve looked at if that is necessarily true, and whether if it is, there could be some silver linings.

Are Leeds Rhinos set for a rebuild?

Ready-made replacements

The fact that Leeds are expected to have success this year means that they already have one key ingredient regardless and that’s the allure for players to want to sign for them. Everyone in rugby league, whether they be in England or Australia, knows the Leeds Rhinos brand.

A Leeds Rhinos side that are winning games and pushing for play-offs, which Brad Arthur’s side are expected to be doing, will attract players so signing replacements, however expensive it may be, won’t be too difficult.

You could even argue that the Harry Newman and Mikolaj Oledzki replacements have already been signed with recent acquisition former State of Origin centre Jack Bird, whilst Cooper Jenkins has stepped up massively in Oledzki’s absence. Moreover, towering prop Jeremiah Matautia has an option in his contract to extend for 2027 so he could step up and take on the role Jenkins held in 2025.

Similarly, off-season recruit Ethan O’Neill is yet to fully hit his stride but with a year at Leeds under his belt, he himself can be a ready-made James McDonnell replacement for next year. Whilst all of Bird, Matautia and O’Neill may create selection headaches this year, they will be valuable squad players, or potentially even starters in 2027.

Academy talents

Leeds are also burdened with talent in their academy and we’ve already seen some of those players pop up with Ned McCormack and Presley Cassell viable long-term Harry Newman and Mikolaj Oledzki replacements, respectively.

Those players are two of a dozen or so who could make the jump with second-row sensation Zak Lloyd, someone who is sure to get senior minutes this year, learning from Kallum Watkins and potentially being close to a significant role in the squad.

The Rhinos are a team who made their success off the back of the golden generation and whilst it’s premature to say anything about this current crop, it’s also a hugely exciting opportunity for Leeds to promote from within.

Conclusions

There’s no doubt that Ian Blease will have to be on the phone and making signings, not least because of the experience that is being lost. Former captain Cameron Smith is another out of the door at the end of the year, whilst both Ryan Hall and Kallum Watkins are off-contract with the former set to turn 39 in November.

The status of off-contract star player and coach duo Brodie Croft and Brad Arthur are two other major question marks and when answered, perhaps the conclusion of this article will change but for now talks of crisis at Headingley can be shelved.

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