HEAD COACH Brad Arthur says he will confirm his future at Leeds Rhinos with sporting director Ian Blease at the start of next week.
Arthur is out of contract at the end of this season and Leeds have offered him a multi-year deal to remain with the club.
He held discussions with Blease last week, during the Rhinos’ break over the split round, and will now make his mind up over the weekend, after Leeds’ trip to Leigh Leopards tomorrow (Thursday) night.
Arthur, who took charge at AMT Headingley last July, is weighing up a desire to keep building at Leeds with a wish to be reunited with family, and will communicate his final decision on Monday.
His wife moved to the UK for this year alongside his daughter, who is due to return to university down under.
Sons Jake and Matt both play rugby league in Australia although the former, who is with Newcastle Knights, has been recently linked with a move to Hull FC.
Arthur explained: “Me and Bleasy had a good conversation the other day and we talked about a multi-year deal with a few options the club’s way and things for me.
“The priority right now is the game on Thursday. Both my boys are playing Friday and Saturday so I’ll let them focus on their games and then we’ll have a discussion after that’s done and we’ll make a decision on Monday.
“I haven’t got anything about the deal running through my mind. There’s nothing there I need to go back and forth on. It’s whether now I decide to stay.
“I’ll have that conversation with my kids. My daughter has got to go back to uni for twelve months so I need to have all those conversations. We’ll discuss it on Sunday.”
On his son’s rumored move, he added: “It helps, but I’ve still got another young bloke out there and I’d be leaving him in the lurch.
“The other part of it is, if I stay my daughter has to go home. There are a lot of moving parts to it. I wish it was simple but it’s not.”