LEEDS RHINOS have confirmed that Morgan Gannon will leave Headingley at the end of the season after rejecting a substantial contract offer by the club.
Gannon was given his debut for the Rhinos whilst still a teenager back in April 2021 and has gone on to make 59 appearances for the club, including starting in the Good Friday win over Huddersfield Giants.
However, he is due to be out of contract at the end of the season and has informed the club that he intends to move to the NRL from 2026.
Leeds Rhinos Sporting Director Ian Blease commented: “We are extremely disappointed to be losing a young player who the club has put so much time and effort into developing.
“In particular, Brad and all the coaches have worked with Morgan this year to bring him to a level after missing all of last season. I have been speaking to Morgan and his manager for a number of months now trying to agree a new deal and I have made a substantial offer that represents how highly we regard Morgan and were looking for him to fully commit to the Rhinos after the way the club looked after him last year.
“Before my time here, I know the Rhinos have always had Morgan’s best interests at heart, especially during the period when he was overcoming his concussion issues. However, we do understand the lure of the NRL, especially for young players and that is a significant challenge not just for the Rhinos but also Super League as a whole.
“Professional sport means you have to accept that sometimes things will not always go as you planned however we remain committed to bringing through our young players and rewarding them for their hard work and commitment to build our squad for the future, that has always been the key to success at the Rhinos.
“Morgan is a professional and mature young man and I am sure he will give his all for the Rhinos for the remainder of the season and look to leave the club in the best possible manner,” added Blease.
Gannon, said it was a tough decision to make but now that he has decided his future, his sole focus will be on trying to help the Rhinos win silverware in 2025.
He commented: “This is a great opportunity for me and one I had to take. I have spent time in Australia with my dad’s family and I know how big the game is over there.
“I would like to thank the Rhinos for everything they have done to support me and the offer they made to me, this move is nothing to do with money, it is something I want to challenge myself with. Leeds is my club and I never had any intention of going to any other Super League club.
“I am excited about what we can achieve as a group this season and I want to play my part in that.”
