Castleford coach Daryl Powell has insisted he is “100 per cent committed” to the Tigers – and has played down talk of him returning to Leeds Rhinos as their new coach.
Powell was inevitably mentioned among the favourites for the now-vacant role at Headingley following the sacking of Brian McDermott on Monday.
It would have meant a return to Leeds as coach for Powell, who left the role in 2003. He, however, has insisted to the club’s own TV channel that he has no intention of walking out on Castleford.
“I haven’t spoken to anybody,” he said.
“There’s always rumours when a big job comes up and I’ve been rumoured with quite a few (jobs) so far this season – but look, I’m 100 per cent committed to what I’m doing at Castleford. I’ve got a strong belief in the club and where it’s going, and I think people can rest easy, to be honest.
“I’ve got a couple years left on my contract after this one and I have every intention of being there for that time.”
Powell also admitted that the circumstances surrounding McDermott’s exit, plus Leeds’ recent poor form, makes them dangerous opponents when they come to Castleford on Sunday afternoon in a huge game for both sides.
He said: “He’s their most successful coach, and you’re always disappointed to see someone lose their job in that way.
“But it’s the nature of the beast at times; they’ve lost seven in a row but it always means they’re getting closer to their next win. We won’t be looking at anything other than making sure we’re spot on. We’ve got a good opportunity in our last four games to make a statement and this is the starting point.”
