Brad Arthur hails Leeds Rhinos' unsung heroes behind Super League rise

Leeds head into the final 10 rounds of the regular season with a four-point advantage at the summit, leaving the club well placed to claim the League Leaders' Shield for the first time since their last title success in 2017.

Arthur credits his middles with laying the platform for the Rhinos' star-studded backline to flourish.

"Our forward pack is so strong, so dominant and carrying the ball so powerfully," said the Leeds boss. "And they're owning their work defensively.

"I really like working with the middle unit. I'm pretty firm with them, hold them to high accountability and lump a fair bit of responsibility on them.

"Our forward pack are a reflection of our starts. They set the standard and the tone.

"I'm so grateful because they've owned it for me every week. I keep raising the bar for them every week and they keep delivering.

"They're not happy when I tell them they're moving to the bench but they understand the reasons why we're doing it – so we're not cooking any individual. They all share the workload and are all happy for each other to get that game time."

The middle rotation has become a well-oiled machine and the beneficiaries have been Leeds' headline-makers.

As far as Arthur is concerned, everything starts with the efforts of Mikolaj Oledzki, Keenan Palasia, Cooper Jenkins and Tom Holroyd.

"They're doing a great job and other guys get to play on the back of it," added Arthur.

"Our halves are playing on the front foot because of them. Ash (Handley) is getting the ball in his hands when he needs it, Maika (Sivo) is getting good tryscoring opportunities and Lachie (Miller) is catching the ball 30 metres off our tryline all the time.

"It all comes down to your middles."

Arthur turned heads earlier this season when he moved Chris Hankinson to the pack.

The versatile 32-year-old had never previously played in the back row but he has thrived in the role, scoring tries in six consecutive games.

Hankinson has become another of Arthur's unsung heroes.

"We had it in the back of our heads that he could cover there," said Arthur.

"Unfortunately with guys like Chank, because he's so good at a lot of things, can play any position and do it well and without any fuss, you can get put here, there and everywhere.

"I didn't know where we were going to play him but knew it would be somewhere. Back row was a position he could fill in if we got an injury there.

"I'm just so pleased for him that he's been able to nail down a starting spot in the back row. I feel like that's what suits him moving forward. He's probably gone better than I thought quicker than I thought.

"He's just one of those guys who is good to have in your group and good for your team. He's all about the team and is starting to get a few individual rewards for it."