Find out more about the Rhinos' newest head coach: Brad Arthur

Factfile

Name: Brad Arthur

Age: 50

Place of Birth: Sydney, Australia

Clubs coached: Parramatta Eels (Head Coach: 2012, 2014-2024; Assistant Coach 2011), Melbourne Storm (Assistant Coach: 2010) Melbourne Storm Under-20s (Head Coach: 2007-2009)

NRL Record with Parramatta

Coached 264 games (252 regular season and 12 Finals)

Games Won: 137 (133 regular season and 4 Finals)

Games Lost: 127 (119 regular season and 8 Finals)

Points Scored: 5,336 (236 in the Finals)

Number of Finals Appearances: Five

Grand Final Appearances: One (2022 vs Penrith)

Career so far

- Brad Arthur's came through Parramatta Eels' junior programme as a player, as well as Penrith Panthers, before pursuing a career in coaching.

- Arthur’s first coaching experience came as a player-coach with Batemans Bay Tigers in 1997, plus he also coached Cairns Brothers early in his career.

- In 2007, he was given the opportunity to test himself with Melbourne Storm as he took charge of the club’s Under-20s team in the Toyota Cup. During the 2009 season, he guided a team that contained future NRL Grand Final winners Gareth Widdop, Justin O’Neill, Jesse Bromwich and Kevin Proctor to a 24-22 victory over Wests Tigers to claim the club’s first Under-20s Grand Final title.

- The success of that year elevated Arthur and Stephen Kearney to assistant roles under Craig Bellamy for the 2010 season, where they made the trip to Elland Road to take on the Rhinos in the World Club Challenge, before both departed for Parramatta with Arthur as an assistant to Kearney.

- 2012 saw Arthur break into the NRL for the first time as Parramatta announced him as their interim head coach in the wake of Kearney’s departure with six games to go. With Ricky Stuart set to take over from 2013, Arthur guided the team to two wins from their final games as they finished bottom of the table.

- Stuart's decision to leave the Eels for Canberra Raiders at the end of the 2013 season saw Arthur, who had served the year as an assistant coach to Geoff Toovey at Manly Sea Eagles, reappointed as head coach for 2014 as he began a decade long run at the helm of the club. 

- He finished 2014 on the cusp of the finals as a side containing Jarryd Hayne and Semi Radradra finished the season as one of three clubs on 28 points. Brisbane squeezed into the top eight only on points difference.

- A period of transition across the 2015 and 2016 seasons saw Arthur build the club back up to finish in the top eight for the first time since 2009 with 16 wins in 2017. After a tough start to the season, Arthur and the Eels won nine out of their last ten regular season games to finish fourth before losing out in the semi finals to North Queensland.

- 2018 saw the Eels face a number of challenges, but Arthur’s response was to deliver finals football for the next four years as they quickly became a contender for a Grand Final.

- The breakout of winger Maika Sivo in 2019 saw the winger score 22 tries in the Eels’ run to finish fifth, before they resoundingly beat Brisbane 58-0 in the qualifying final.

- The Covid-affected 2020 season was one of Arthur’s best in charge of the Eels as the club finished third in the league standings with fifteen wins and 30 points. 2021 was also a strong campaign, but was ended by a tight 8-6 loss to Penrith in the Finals.

- 2022 was a season to remember for Eels fans as the club finally broke their 13 year wait for a return to the Grand Final. Arthur led a team of stars, including long-serving Clint Gutherson, electric halves Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown, and a forward pack containing Isaiah Papali’i, Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Junior Paulo, to 16 wins before they defeated Canberra and North Queensland on the road to the final. Facing off against Arthur’s old club Penrith though, the Panthers retained their title with a 28-12 result.

- The Eels finish 11^th in 2023 as they didn’t reach the heights of 2022, but 2024 was the Arthur’s final season with blue and gold, as the club terminated his contract as they sat 14th on the ladder with three wins in the opening 11 rounds.

- During his 264 games in 11 years as head coach, Arthur surpassed Brian Smith for the most games as Eels coach since the club was founded in 1947.

- Arthur now makes the move to join the Rhinos for the rest of the season in his first Super League job. With ten games remaining, he is set to take on a number of his former Eels players in Kelepi Tanginoa, Tom Opacic (both at Hull KR), Jack Murchie (Huddersfield), Jai Field, Bevan French (both Wigan) and Manu Ma'u (Catalans).