Record number of players committed to Rhinos on professional contracts

Leeds Rhinos have confirmed that a joint-club record number of Scholarship prospects have committed their futures to the club by agreeing their first professional contracts.

Bailey Hardy, Sonny Hetherington, Ryan Hosier, Connor Lawrie, Noah Lunn, Seth Marchant, Jack Mears, Sam Oldroyd, Daniel Shaw, Jack Smith, Robin Smith, Alfie Steel, Jacob Tooala, Brennan Townend and Liam Watson joined the club’s Scholarship programme in 2024 and have developed under the guidance of Scholarship Head Coach Mark Butterill and his staff over the last two years, notably winning 13 out of 16 games.

By signing their first professional deals, the group of 15 players will now progress into the Under-18s Academy, where they are eligible to play for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. The cohort is one of the largest intakes into the club’s Academy, matching the 15 signings in 2024 that saw the likes of Presley Cassell, Joe Diskin, Jacob Stead, Harley Thomas and Harry Smith make the next step in their junior careers. This year’s signings will be unveiled on the pitch at half time of Leeds Rhinos clash with Catalans Dragons match at AMT Headingley on Thursday 11th September. 

Kippax Welfare is the best-represented community club amongst the group with seven players making the step up into the Under-18s. Rhinos captain and loose forward Brennan Townend was one of five players to feature in all eight games in 2025, alongside hooker Noah Lunn. Half back Seth Marchant finished 2025 as the side’s top goal kicker and points scorer with 25 goals and 54 points in six appearances, whilst utility back Jack Smith scored six tries in nine games for the Scholarship. Outside backs Liam Watson and Jacob Tooala both finished this season with four tries each, plus second rower Alfie Steel is one of seven forwards progressing into the Under-18s. 

Speaking about agreeing to continue his development at the Rhinos, Tooala said: “It's obviously a big step up and I'm really happy about signing. It’s been a really fun two years as a Scholar so it was an easy decision to commit. My mum really wanted me to stay here too, so everyone’s really proud of me.

“I've developed a lot during my time in the Scholarship. I was really skinny when I came in so I put on a lot of weight and learned good skills from the coaches. It's a big step up but I’m looking forward to working with the coaches.” 

Castleford Lock Lane continues to supply a strong pipeline of talent to the Rhinos as five players agreed contracts. Centre Sonny Hetherington has been one of the key playmakers for the Rhinos in 2025 as he scored nine tries to finish as the side’s top try scorer. Winger Bailey Hardy joins his brother Jacob in the Under-18s for 2026 after scoring six tries in as many games for the Rhinos over the 2024 and 2025 season, plus half back Jack Mears has impressed with six tries and five goals in the stand off role. Ryan Hosier and Robin Smith bolster the pack options further having been key starters for Butterill over the course of this season.

Smith said: “I'm very pleased, it's a very good club. I'm actually a Castleford lad but it's the best club for development so I didn’t want to be anywhere else.

“The club have looked after me all the way through the Scholarship since I signed from Lock Lane, and I'm very pleased for the next few years here. Working with Mark Butterill, Martin Wood and Richard Leese, we’ve progressed and developed as a group on the field - you can definitely tell we've come a long way. We’re an exciting group. In the first year, we only lost one game and then last year we lost one and drew one, so there's a lot of talent coming into the Academy for the next two years. It's going to be a real challenge for us now, but I’m looking forward to it."

Featherstone Lions prop Connor Lawrie progressed from an impact substitute to a starter this year as he played all but one game for Leeds, and Wakefield Hawks Dan Shaw also had a breakout campaign with six appearances. Stanningley’s Sam Oldroyd rounds off this year's cohort as the full back crowns a stellar year, in which he scored five tries, by agreeing a new deal.

Leeds Rhinos Transition Coach Chev Walker said: “It's great that they're able to come in with a group that they are familiar with and add to our group. There's some quality in there. It's just obviously getting them up to speed, which is always the case. We're looking forward to bedding them in now, but the rate of growth that we've seen already is really pleasing, the squad already looks a little bit more balanced for next season. The talent's evidently there, and there’s a balance of players that we've got in varied positions so as coaches, we don’t have to adapt their skillset too much. We've run with four hookers this year and only two half-backs, so to have more of a balance for 2026, and to not have to coach players into playing different positions to accommodate them, will only benefit them and the team going forward."

Leeds Rhinos Sporting Director Ian Blease added, “I would like to congratulate all the lads on their progress through the club’s scholarship system. Signing your first professional contract is a key milestone but hopefully this will just be the launchpad for a long and successful career if they make the most of the opportunities we will provide for them at Leeds. The coaches who have worked with these young men, whether at the Rhinos or in their community clubs, should be rightly proud of their progress.”