Sam Burgess ‘snubbed’ by Perth as Brad Arthur’s Leeds future becomes clear

Sam Burgess has reportedly been ‘snubbed’ by Perth Bears in favour of Mal Meninga: as Brad Arthur’s future looks increasingly likely to be at Leeds Rhinos.

The Bears are closing in on announcing Meninga as their first head coach when they enter the NRL in 2027. Both Burgess and Arthur were interviewed by the NRL – with the pair publicly admitting they were keen to land the role.

But Burgess has now been overlooked alongside Arthur, even in the possible role of joint head coach. Former St Helens coach Justin Holbrook is now being touted as a potential assistant for Meninga when he leaves the Kangaroos setup and joins Perth.

Burgess’ future is slightly more straightforward now the Perth move is off. He is under contract at Warrington in 2026 but remains keen on securing a role as a head coach in the NRL, potentially as early as 2027.

But Arthur’s plans are far more intriguing. The Leeds Rhinos coach has made no secret of his enjoyment in the role – but he has also stressed he will return to Australia at some stage to be near his family. Both his sons are currently playing in the NRL.

However, Leeds have now been buoyed by the news that Arthur is set to be overlooked – a fresh report in the Courier Mail suggests that he has not heard from the NRL about the role for several weeks and is resigned to missing out.

Love Rugby League has been told that Leeds’ new contract offer remains on the table and would give Arthur flexibility about an NRL return in the future should he wish.

The Australian remains their number one priority to be their head coach in 2026, with Leeds keen to tie down a man who has made a significant impact at the Rhinos in less than a year in charge.

They have not offered Steve McNamara the job, contrary to reports – though the Catalans head coach would be a likely target if and when Arthur told Leeds he was going home.

And Leeds remain hopeful they can convince Arthur to stay for at least 2026 – and with the Perth move now off the table, those hopes have been raised further.