Powell takes on Leeds job

Powell had three season with Rhinos as a player

Former Great Britain stand-off Daryl Powell has been unveiled as the new head coach at Leeds Rhinos.

Powell takes over from Dean Lance who left the club on Saturday less than half way through his three-year contract.

Powell, who played three seasons for the Leeds Rhinos, steps up from head of youth development at Headingley and is already being lined up as a potential new national coach.

"Obviously it is a very big challenge, but one I am really looking forward to," Powell told a press conference.

Bright prospect

"We have an excellent playing squad and coaching staff who are all very optimistic about our future."

Powell is only the second British born coach to be given charge of a Super Lague club and, along with Bradford's Brian Noble, is already being lined up as a possible replacement to suceed Australian David Waite as national coach in three years time.

"I feel David Waite's successor will certainly be British and, in Brian Noble and Daryl Powell, there are two men who fit the bill," said Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington.

Powell, 35, made more than 400 appearances in his playing career that started at Sheffield Eagles in 1984.

He had a spell in charge of Keighley from 1996-97 and has long been regarded as a bright coaching prospect.

Difficult task

Leeds, who have lost their last three matches, said the termination of Lance's contract was made by "mutual agreement".

Lance led the Rhinos to last year's Cup final at Murrayfield and was in charge of a Super League club record 13 straight wins.

That came after a tortuous start in which they found themselves bottom of the table after five games.

But he always faced a difficult task stepping into the shoes of the enormously popular Graham Murray, who in 1999 took Leeds to their first Challenge Cup success for 21 years.

Assistant Damian McGrath quit the club at the end of last season after an apparent clash of personalities.

Lance's position was weakened by a much-publicised racial discrimination case involving winger Paul Sterling.