Leeds Rhinos 2025 season review
- Overview
- Highs
- Lows
- 2025 RLB Player of the Year – Jake Connor
- Reasons to be positive in 2026
- My 2025 prediction – 7th
- Final 2025 position – 4th (+3)
Overview
Despite a heartbreaking play-off loss to St. Helens, 2025 was a year of huge progress for the Rhinos. They got back into the top six for the first time since 2022 and they looked like genuine contenders until a wobble right at the end of the year.
With two games to go, a top two place was still in sight, but a disappointing home defeat to Catalans Dragons burst their bubble, and they were comfortably swept aside by Wigan in the final round of the regular season.
Those defeats were far from ideal, but they still went into their play-off clash with Saints as favourites, and when they led 14-6 with five minutes to go, no one could have predicted that it would end in defeat.
Highs
Leeds were high up the rankings in more ways than one in 2025. They boasted the second-best defence, had the top tackler (Jarrod O’Connor), the top metre maker (Lachlan Miller), and the player with the second-most try assists (Jake Connor). And not to mention, Connor also picked up the Man of Steel Award.
They also beat all of their fellow top six sides, including two wins over eventual champions Hull KR – the second of which was a remarkable 28-6 win in Round 23. That victory came as part of a five-match winning run, where they conceded just 26 points.
Lows
One moment sticks out, and that is of course the play-off loss to St. Helens. Any knockout defeat is tough to take, but when you’re leading by two scores with five minutes to go, it’s especially galling.
Elsewhere, there was an early exit from the Challenge Cup at the hands of the same opponents, while the season-ending injury to new signing Maika Sivo before a ball had even been kicked was a cruel kick in the guts for the Rhinos.
2025 RLB Player of the Year – Jake Connor
It has to be Connor, who picked up the Man of Steel Award as the competition’s best player in 2025. 30 try assists, three 40/20s and seven tries were just some of his standout stats, and his halves partnership with Brodie Croft blossomed as the season went on. Very unfortunate to miss out on selection for the England squad at the end of the year.
Reasons to be positive in 2026
The Rhinos have laid a great platform for 2026, and after coach Brad Arthur confirmed he’d be staying on, there’s been an extra buzz around Headingley.
Youngsters like Pressley Cassell and Alfie Edgell will continue to go from strength to strength, and although he’s been in the building for 12 months already, Maika Sivo will practically be a new signing when he makes his long-awaited debut. The Fijian was one of the NRL’s best wingers at one point, and if he can bring that form to Super League he’ll be a real weapon.
My 2025 prediction – 7th
Final 2025 position – 4th (+3)
I was only out by three, but in truth I was miles off with this prediction and I’m willing to admit it. At the start of the year I couldn’t see who the Rhinos would dislodge from the top six, but they performed better than I expected and fully deserved their top four finish.
