Key Points
- Leeds Rhinos and England centre Harry Newman will leave the club at the end of the 2026 season.
- Newman is expected to join NRL expansion side Perth Bears ahead of their 2027 debut.
- His departure adds to a growing trend of Super League talent moving to Australia’s NRL.
Leeds (The Leeds Times) January 10, 2026 – Leeds Rhinos star Harry Newman is to leave the Super League club at the end of the 2026 season, with multiple reports stating the England international centre has agreed a move to prospective NRL franchise Perth Bears as part of the latest wave of leading players heading from Britain to Australia.
According to reporting referenced by specialist rugby league outlet Serious About Rugby League, confirmation from Leeds Rhinos that Newman will exit when his current deal expires has aligned with separate reports in Australia that he will join Perth Bears on a long-term contract once the new club enters the NRL in 2027. All Out Rugby League has also reported that Newman, 25, has agreed terms to become one of the expansion club’s first headline signings, underlining the growing influence of the NRL on Super League’s top-end talent.
How has Harry Newman’s Leeds Rhinos exit and NRL move been reported?
Serious About Rugby League reported that
“earlier this week, the news broke that Leeds Rhinos star Harry Newman is set to leave the club at the end of the 2026 season to join Perth Bears, and become one of their first recruits ahead of their inaugural NRL season,”
noting that the centre will bring to a close a decade-long stint in the Rhinos first team.
As reported by unnamed staff reporters of Serious About Rugby League, Newman has been “vocal about his desires to move to the NRL and test himself against the world’s best”, with his anticipated switch described as the realisation of a long-held ambition rather than a surprise departure. All Out Rugby League has similarly stated that the England international “is set to become one of Perth Bears’ first major signings ahead of their debut NRL season,” adding that he has reportedly held talks with expansion head coach Mal Meninga and is poised to sign a multi-year deal in Western Australia.
Why is Harry Newman’s move significant for Leeds Rhinos and Super League?
Newman’s exit is regarded as a major blow for Leeds Rhinos because he is one of the club’s marquee homegrown players and a current England international in a key position. Reporting by All Out Rugby League describes him as a “Leeds Rhinos and England star” and highlights that he has made close to 130 appearances for the club since his debut in 2017, underlining his experience and importance within the squad.
The move is also being framed as part of a wider trend of top Super League players heading to the NRL. Serious About Rugby League characterises Newman’s departure as part of an “exodus” of talent to Australia, pointing to growing concern within the British game over the financial and competitive pull of NRL clubs, especially with the arrival of expansion sides such as Perth Bears. All Out Rugby League notes that Newman is set to become the first Super League player to join the NRL’s expansion project, signalling that new franchises are now directly targeting leading European-based players.
How does this fit into the broader NRL exodus from Super League?
Coverage across rugby league media outlets has emphasised that Newman’s expected move is not an isolated case but another example of elite Super League talent heading to the NRL in search of higher standards and, often, improved financial packages. While individual reports focus primarily on Newman, they refer to a “continuing” flow of players from Super League to Australia, a trend that has been evident in recent seasons with several leading English and overseas stars swapping the northern hemisphere for NRL clubs.
According to Serious About Rugby League’s analysis, Newman’s transfer – involving a prime-age England international leaving one of the sport’s biggest British clubs – will intensify debate over Super League’s ability to retain its best performers. The outlet notes that Leeds now face the challenge of replacing a first-choice centre at the peak of his career, and has already begun examining potential options, highlighting several candidates who could be targeted as replacements once Newman’s contract runs down.
What are Leeds Rhinos’ options and what happens next?
In response to the confirmed 2026 departure, Serious About Rugby League has outlined a series of potential recruitment options for Leeds Rhinos to fill the vacancy in the centres, including players already in Super League and possible targets from abroad. The outlet stresses that these are speculative transfer scenarios based on contract cycles and positional needs rather than confirmed negotiations, but the analysis underscores that Leeds will need to act decisively to avoid a major gap in their backline.
All Out Rugby League reports that Newman is contracted to Leeds until the end of the 2026 season and will therefore complete his current deal before any move, giving the club a defined timeframe to plan succession. Perth Bears, meanwhile, are building a squad “from scratch” ahead of their 2027 NRL entry, with Newman reported to be among the first wave of signings for Mal Meninga’s side. Rugby league outlets note that, once his move is formally finalised and announced, attention will shift to how Leeds restructure their roster and whether further Super League players will follow him to the NRL as the expansion era gathers pace.
