Arnold’s side sits 11 points clear after 17 rounds in the A-League and appears set to win the premiership.

It’s a far cry from last season where they finished outside the finals spots and Arnold claimed his own personal development in man management had been a key factor.

“For me the biggest change is in myself,” Arnold said.

“I’m a harsh critic of myself and my performance wasn’t good enough last year and I’m the leader of the squad. If I don’t lead well then everything else will suffer.

“I go and meet rugby league coaches. I’ve got a great relationship with (Brisbane Broncos coach) Wayne Bennett.

“(Sydney Roosters coach) Trent Robinson and (Wallabies coach) Michael Cheika I’ve also met up with.

“The ball might be a different shape and the rules might be different and tactics different but the biggest thing now is how you manage people and get the best out of people.”

Arnold and his side will be tested when they travel to Brisbane Roar on Friday night.

The Sydney boss said his players were mentally well placed for the clash.

“It’s about us going up there with the siege mentality of us against the rest and making sure we put in our best performance,” he said.

“I do believe we are in a great mental state, our confidence is extremely high and we’re going up there expecting to win the game.

“We know that on our day, and our day has been good for a long time, that we’ve got what it needs to win the game.”