Rhinos add towering forward for 2026

Leeds Rhinos have confirmed the signing of 6’5” forward Jeremiah Mata’utia, 21, from North Queensland Cowboys on a one-year contract with a further twelve-month extension option for the Rhinos. 

The 21-year-old was born in New Zealand but was recruited by the Cowboys in 2022 as a junior player. 

As part of his development in the Cowboys system, he played rugby for Townsville Blackhawks' junior ranks and at Kirwan State High School, where he became a stand out player in their 2022 side. He continued his development at Mackay Cutters as well being part of the Cowboys pre-season ahead of the 2025 NRL season. 

Mata’utia commented, “I’m really pleased to be part of this club. I have had a warm welcome to England and I can’t wait to rip in and to bring the best of my ability for the club.

“It was a big decision for me at such a young age, I was still living with my parents so it was hard to say goodbye to them but having my partner in Leeds with me has made the move that much more easier. 

“I think the crowd gets around the boys a lot, and, they show a lot of support for the boys. When I spoke to Brad Arthur about what had happened in 2025, he spoke about the progress the team had made and I really want to be a part of that. To have a coach like Brad to learn a lot from, with his experience in the NRL and Super League, was a big thing for me. I'm really keen to learn everything I can.

“I am looking forward to the experience of playing in front of really big noisy crowds. I want to bring aggression and impact whether I am starting or on the bench and do what the team needs from me,” added the giant forward.

Leeds Rhinos Sporting Director Ian Blease added, “We are really pleased to have Jeremiah here, especially with the boys returning for pre-season training later this week. He is a big guy and someone who will add a lot of power to our pack. He is still very young at just 21 but, I think as we saw with Cooper Jenkins last year, working with our coaching team we can give these opportunities to young players from our own academy and overseas and see them flourish in a Rhinos shirt.”

Leeds Rhinos Head Coach Brad Arthur added, “I would like to welcome Jeremiah to the Rhinos. It was nice to see him at AMT Headingley today and he is keen to get started. He knows he has still got a lot of work to do but I am looking to seeing how he develops over the next year.”