New Leeds Rhinos recruit makes Brad Arthur admission and outlines Super League goal

Leeds Rhinos recruit Cooper Jenkins has revealed that Brad Arthur was a 'big reason' in his decision to move to Headingley, with the prop forward explaining some of the coach's characteristics and traits. The 23-year-old has signed a two-year deal with the Super League club, signing from Queensland Cup outfit North Devils.

Winning the Premiership last season, Jenkins, who stands at over 6 feet 3 inches and weighs over 110 kg, is one of five new arrivals at Leeds ahead of 2025, joining the likes of Jake Connor, Maika Sivo, Ryan Hall, and fellow prop forward Keenan Palasia.

And the New South Wales native is now keen to cut his cloth, with Arthur moving into his first full season as Leeds' head coach after a stellar run at NRL outfit Parramatta Eels.

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"That was another big reason why I came over here, being under Brad Arthur," Jenkins told the BBC. "He was such a great NRL coach and has been in the game for a long time. He’s different; he’s pretty full on. He reminds me a bit of my old man, actually, just the way he speaks, as well as the way he coaches. That gets through to me.

"He doesn’t beat around the bush; he just tells you how it is. When you’re trying to work on your game, you just want it straightforward. It might not be the best to hear, but that’s just how you’ve got to hear it, and I feel like that works great for me. He’s been good, and obviously I haven’t known him too much, but yeah, it will be good to work with him over the next year or two."

Jenkins, who has endured some tough times with injuries in his career to date, also spoke of his vision while at Leeds. The club finished 8th in Super League last season and haven't made the play-offs since an incredible run to the Grand Final back in 2022.

He continued: "I want to come over and cement a starting spot or a spot in the 17 every week, play consistent footy, and develop myself as being a first-grade player over here and learn off the older boys. That’s just my goal. I just want to keep fit and be playing as much as I can.

"I’ve missed two years through injury, so I was at a funny point this year with my footy and having a good year, so I just thought it’d be best for me to come over here. In 2022, I was 21 and had done an ACL, and just looking at it now, it’s about 12 months off; it’s mentally tough. You just need to make sure you have a good support team around you.

"I have a really good family and a girlfriend, and that helps you a lot, but yeah, it’s definitely mentally tough. It is tough physically coming back because you're probably never the same, but I feel like going through those injuries makes you a lot more resilient, and I feel like I’m in a better spot now than I would have been if I’d never done that injury.

He added: "My family wanted me to jump at it. Leeds Rhinos is a massive club, and as soon as we’d seen that, it was just something I wanted to jump at."

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