James Lowes will be the club's new first-team coach
Friday 6 July 2018 11:34, UK
Leeds Rhinos have announced that Kevin Sinfield will become their first director of rugby taking charge of all first-team matters.
The Rhinos legend won seven Super League titles as captain and the 37-year-old will take charge of his first game on Sunday when Leeds face Castleford desperate for a win.
Former Rhinos player and assistant coach James Lowes has been named first-team coach.
Sinfield spent his entire Rugby League career with Leeds and has described his appointment as a "dream".
"I don't think you get many opportunities to join the biggest club of the game," Sinfield told the news conference. "It's a dream job.
"James Lowes will do a fantastic job. I will be overseeing the coaching and I'll be on the field but not hands on."
Leeds sacked Brian McDermott on Monday after seven successive Super League defeats sent the defending champions into the bottom four of the table.
Chief Executive Gary Hetherington, says Sinfield will have a broader role than his predecessor.
"He will have responsibility for all rugby matters including team selection, preparation, performance and results of the first team," Hetherington said.
"He will handle all first team player promotion, retention and recruitment moving forward and oversee our coaching staff management and appraisal. Kevin will also have control of the vital link between our academy and the first team working with head of academy coaching Rob Burrow."
Sinfield is out of contract with the Rugby Football League at the end of the current season and will continue to have an involvement with the RFL's England Performance Unit one day a week until the end of 2018.
