Video: Off-field issues concern new Leeds Rhinos chief Sinfield as much as results

The club’s most-successful captain took charge as director of rugby for the first time yesterday but could not prevent a 42-10 loss at Castleford – the ailing champions’ eighth successive Super League defeat. Leeds are down to ninth but Sinfield insisted: “I believe we have enough talent in that group to make a fist of things at least until 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 just need to make some small changes with how we operate and how we go about stuff.

“We’ll be far better for it when we do it.”

Sinfield, who took charge on Friday after Brian McDermott was sacked, said: “They are disappointed again.

“I do believe they stuck to it and we came up against a really good side. But I’ve got a full picture now; I know exactly where we’re at.”

He switched Joel Moon back to centre for the first time since last season and brought Jordan Lilley in at half-back.

“We added a bit of structure in the last couple of days and just felt Jordan deserved a shot,” explained Sinfield, who brought Lilley off in the second period.

“Jordan didn’t do anything wrong at all. The change was to get Jack (Walker) on and try and change the momentum of the game for us.”

Castleford coach Daryl Powell saw his side – inspired by teenage half-back Jake Trueman – rise to third on the hottest day of the year.

“There was a couple of things,” he said. “Leading up to the game I knew it was all about Leeds and what’s happened there – the disappointment of Brian Mac at the start of the week and then I thought people would be unbelievably positive about what’s happened since (Sinfield).

“For us we had to make sure the story tomorrow was us. I made that point to the boys before. But I thought second half we were really good; Truey was excellent and the pack was outstanding in that heat.”