Leeds Rhinos have tied down Jarrod O’Connor to a new long-term contract. The 21-year-old has signed a new three-year deal that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2026 season.
O'Connor has transitioned to playing hooker under Rohan Smith, under whom he has been a mainstay. He played a pivotal role in the club's run to last year's Grand Final, starting in the two play-off games and at Old Trafford.
Having now made over 50 appearances for the club, O'Connor is ready to push on. “This is the club that I knew I wanted to be at and I wanted to stay here," he said. "I'm grateful to be staying here for another three years because this is where I want to be.
“It gives me a lot of confidence from Rohan Smith and Gary Hetherington and everyone here at Leeds for putting faith in me and giving me that reward that I've been after. I just want to pay them back now with good performances heading into the back end of the year and making sure we get into those Play-Offs.
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“Even though we've had a few poor performances, we know what we can do and we know what we are capable of, it's just about building into that. Heading into the Play-Offs, that is something that we are going to end up doing and I'm confident in the bunch of lads that we've got and the young lads who are coming through in the following years as well."
He is the latest player to extend his stay with the club, following in the footsteps of Ash Handley.
"Jarrod has done extremely well over the last few years to develop his game," head coach Rohan Smith said. "He is someone who listens to the coaches and is willing to put the hard work in and make the sacrifices required to support his teammates. I am looking forward to seeing the progress he will continue to make over the next three years.”
