Here’s all you need to know about the club’s 11th Super League head-coach.
Date of birth: May 21, 1974.
Place of birth: Sydney, Australia.
Nickname: BA.
Playing career: Arthur spent time as Parramatta Eels and Penrith Panthers without breaking into first grade. He dropped into the lower leagues as player-coach at Batemans Bay Tigers and then Cairns Brothers.
Coaching career: Melbourne Storm under-20s (2007-2009), assistant-coach (2010); Parramatta Eels assistant-coach (2011, 2013), interim-coach (2012), head-coach (2014-24); Leeds Rhinos head-cach (July, 2024-present).
Family: Arthur’s sons Jake, a 22-year-old half-back and Matt, a hooker, aged 20, both play for NRL outfit Newcastle Knights. Jake is understood to be considering a move to Hull FC for 2026.
Rhinos record (as of August 11, 2025): Played 33, won 20, lost 13. Win percentage 66.67.
Background:
Arthur guided Storm’s youngsters to a Grand Final win in 2009 and was appointed assistant to head-coach Craig Bellamy for the following season. He returned to Parramatta in 2011 as assistant to their new coach Stephen Kearney, who he worked with at Melbourne.
He was interim-coach at the end of 2012 following Kearney’s departure, served as Ricky Stuart’s assistant the following season and was appointed head-coach for 2014. Arthur spent a decade in charge of the Eels, guiding them to the play-offs five times and a Grand Final appearance in 2022. He was dismissed on May 20 last year, the day before his 50th birthday, having been at the helm for 264 games. He finished with a 52 per cent success rate from 137 wins and 127 defeats.
Arthur joined Rhinos in July, 2024, on an initial 10-game contract. That was extended the following month until the end of this season. Leeds won five of Arthur’s games as coach last year and this season have a record in all competitions of 15 victories and eight losses.
