Leeds Rhinos chief opens up on Sam Lisone departure as Hull FC ‘come in hard’

Leeds Rhinos sporting director, Ian Blease, has revealed there was nothing more the club could have done to keep Sam Lisone at Headingley after Hull FC ‘came in hard’ for the prop forward.

As first revealed by Love Rugby League, the Airlie Birds tempted the Samoan and New Zealand international over to East Yorkshire on a two-year deal, with the prop out of contract at Rhinos heading into the 2026 season.

His form has steadily increased across the 2025 campaign, topped off with a big try-scoring performance in Leeds’ recent win over table-topping Hull KR.

Ian Blease on Sam Lisone departure

Lisone’s future had been a major talking point out of Headingley in the past few months, with the Rhinos keen to keep the current squad in place for the foreseeable future rather than undergo yet another major recruitment drive, but speaking to the media, Blease confirmed the prop made the decision to leave after receiving ‘a great deal’ from FC.

“We were in talks with Sam’s management for a number of months now, but he’s made the decision to leave, and we wish him all the best,” Blease said. “We’ve been speaking regularly with him over the last few weeks, but he’s got, I believe, a great deal from Hull.

“He’s fully committed to Leeds Rhinos for the rest of the season, which is all I cared about after it was done,” he added. “We had a great chat on Monday, and he’s given me his assurances he’ll give his all for the rest of the year.

It was understood that Lisone’s preference was to remain with the Rhinos for 2026, with the dual-international previously claiming that he wouldn’t want to play for another Super League side, but again, Blease said there was nothing more they could do after Hull FC’s offer came in.

“Not really (anything Leeds could have done), with the offer he’s got and the term as well,” he said. “They’ve made the decision to come in hard for him, and we respect that. Yeah (it was his first option), but we couldn’t make it work with what he’s got (from Hull FC).

The sporting director also cited the salary cap as a major stumbling block in keeping Lisone at the club, following the increased offer from Hull.

“There’s a salary cap that we always have to be aware of, and every club is in the same boat. We also have our pathways and have a view to bring players through that, which is great for the club to be in that position.”

How to replace Lisone

As alluded to earlier, Leeds are now aiming to retain rather than recruit, and even now with the gap created in their 2026 squad following the sudden exit of Lisone, Blease will still be looking to promote from within rather than dip into the market.

“We have options from within (to replace him), but it’s big boots to fill. He’s been a good player for us this year, so we’ll just have to look at our options.”

Luckily, the middle unit is an area of strength for the Rhinos heading into 2026, even with the departure of Lisone. 2025 recruits Keenan Palasia and Cooper Jenkins remain under contract and have impressed in their short spell at Headingley to date, Tom Holroyd has also signed a new extension to keep him at the club for the foreseeable future, as has Mikolaj Oledzki.

Elsewhere, Tom Nicholson-Watton could be set for an increased role in the side next season as a result, as could Ben Littlewood.

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