All eyes are on the transfer market after the recruitment window opened this month, but for Leeds Rhinos, they still have some of their current players to worry about. While the Rhinos can now sign players, their off-contract talents can discuss deals with other clubs. The club still has some big decisions to make on that front with a number of players still off-contract. Here, we take a look at three players the Rhinos need to tie down in the coming weeks.
Rhyse Martin
The back-rower has been one of the Rhinos' best and most consistent performers in what has been a difficult season. The PNG back-rower's future looked uncertain around 12 months ago. His form at the start of the season had been poor and the arrival of James Bentley had seen the club plan for his exit.
But he ultimately stayed and has proved he was worth a new deal this year. A very strong goal-kicker, Martin has provided genuine strike on the edges, which has been badly lacking at times this season.
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With Alex Mellor off-contract and seemingly set to leave Headingley, retaining Martin to compete for a place with Bentley and Morgan Gannon seems a logical piece of business.
Jarrod O'Connor
Young forward O'Connor has shown great amounts of progress since the off-season and is an obvious piece of business Leeds can ill-afford to miss out on. Still only 21, O'Connor was excellent in the pre-season games and has been unlucky not to get more game-time in the first-team so far this season.
He's still only going to get better and in reality the Rhinos don't have an extensive production line of forwards coming through the system right now. As such, keeping O'Connor and developing him into a regular first-teamer has to be the aim.
Corey Johnson
Many will question the absence of Jack Broadbent from the list but there is logic behind it. Leeds have a stack of outside backs already contracted for both next season and the year after that. As a consequence, it's difficult to see where he will get regular action.
By contrast, Johnson is already Leeds' third choice hooker and with Brad Dwyer off-contract at the end of the season, he could well be promoted again. It only takes one look at the off-contract list across Super League to realise there aren't a huge number of hookers on the market and if Dwyer does leave, Leeds will need to rely on Johnson regularly next year.
As a result, retaining and persevering with the 21-year-old is crucial.
