SINFIELD’S CRISIS CALL

New boss says things will change after thrashing

KEVIN SINFIELD says Leeds need to make changes off the field after watching teenager Jake Trueman send his side to an eighth straight defeat.

Half-back Trueman (right) scored two second-half tries and made two others as the excellent Tigers scored 38 unanswered points against the champions after trailing 4-10 early on.

Club legend Sinfield was in charge for the first time in his new role as director of rugby, but the Rhinos remain embedded in the bottom four and heading for the Qualifiers.

Sinfield said: “I’ve got the full picture now and I know exactly where we’re at.

“Previously I was sat on the outside looking at it from afar – now I’m right there in the middle with them.

“I knew it would be a big job – otherwise Brian McDermott would still be here – and we have got a bit to do.

“Personnel-wise, we have got what I believe is enough talent in the group to make a fist of things – at least to the end of the year.

“But there’s some stuff off the field we need to change.

“I don’t want to say too much but we need to make some small changes in how we operate.

“We realise we’ve got to make some changes. We’re ninth for a reason, and the answer to most things is hard work.”

The Rhinos – who also had a new first-team coach in situ in James Lowes following the dismissal of McDermott – started positively, and two tries from Tom Briscoe against one from Greg Eden had them ahead at the quarter-mark.

But that was as good as it got, as Quentin Laulu-Togaga’e and Matt Cook put Cas ahead at the break before Trueman took over, scoring twice himself and creating two other touchdowns for a rampaging Jesse Sene-Lefao.

Tigers coach Daryl Powell said: “Jake probably had his worst game for us last week in Catalans, and for a young bloke to come up with a response like that was outstanding.

“He was excellent today. He started running in the first half in areas we thought we’d seen some weaknesses.

“Leading up to the game it was all about Leeds and what was happening there, and we needed to focus on us and make sure the story was about us.

“It took a lot of composure from the boys and in the second half I thought we were really good.”