Ian Blease will head up Leeds Rhinos' rugby operation following his appointment as the club's new sporting director.
The 59-year-old moves to Headingley from Salford Red Devils after more than seven years as their director of rugby and operations. Blease will 'provide strategic direction, leadership and oversight' of the performance department as a member of the board of directors, including autonomy over player and staff retention and recruitment. “There’s levels within Super League and Leeds has always been a significant club that I’ve admired from afar,” he said.
The Red Devils reached the Super League Grand Final for the first time in 2019 and followed it up with a Wembley appearance the following year. Salford have enjoyed two strong seasons under current boss Paul Rowley despite a modest budget and regular player sales. The Red Devils made a profit on the likes of Ben Murdoch-Masila, Jackson Hastings and Tyler Dupree, while Leeds paid a significant fee to sign Brodie Croft and Andy Ackers at the end of last year.
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