Leeds Rhinos lose another star as Mikolaj Oledzki completes NRL move

Leeds Rhinos have lost a third player to Perth Bears, with Mikolaj Oledzki joining the new NRL club on a three-year contract.

England prop Oledzki will follow James McDonnell and Harry Newman to Australia next year, with the 27-year-old becoming the latest Super League player to make the move heading into 2027.

Oledzki had signed a new contract with Leeds last year, but it featured an NRL clause that has now been activated, leaving the Rhinos without another key player for next year.

They have now lost the aforementioned trio for next year, as well as Cameron Smith, who has agreed to join Wakefield Trinity.

“This has been an extremely tough decision to come to because of how much Leeds Rhinos means to me,” Oledzki said. “Leeds Rhinos and rugby league was so important to me growing up and I owe so much to the club for enabling me to live out my dream.

“This opportunity has come at the right time for me and my family to experience something completely new and was a chance that I could not turn down. Now that things have been sorted for 2027, I can put that in a drawer and not worry about it again until the end of the season. Despite our setback last week, I have got total faith and belief in this group of players and coaches that we can achieve something special this season and that is my sole focus now until the end of the year.”

Head coach Brad Arthur added: “Whilst it is disappointing to be losing Mik for next season, as I have said previously, that will give opportunities for others, whether that is young players in our system or those who want to come and play for the Rhinos. Mik is a homegrown product, who will have got his chance originally because a senior player had moved on, it is the nature of professional sport and I trust in the work that Ian Blease is doing to continue to build our squad for the future.”