Leeds Rhinos will have a new member of coaching staff next season, and it comes in the form of someone with huge experience both at the club and in Super League.
Former hooker Shaun Lunt will return to Headingley next season, after announcing he will become an academy and reserves assistant coach.
Working under head coach Chev Walker, Lunt was part of the 2012 Grand Final winning side, and won the trophy in his first stint at the club.
After a short stint at the club that year, he returned to the Rhinos seven years later from Hull KR, as part of a swap deal with Matt Parcell, who went the other way. In his two stints at Leeds, he made 30 appearances, scoring nine tries.
A veteran of over 180 Super League matches, the 38-year-old will now form part of the club’s youth coaching set-up, something that has seen mass change this off season.
Both Head of Youth, Jon Bastian, and Head of Talent ID, Simon Bell, have left Leeds to join Wakefield, with Simon Brown, Mark Butterill and Darren Higgins all forming part of a new-look academy set-up.
Lunt, will add further experience and quality to the club, and will look to continue the success the side have had in the pathways system this year.
Leeds’ reserves team won the Grand Final, edging out Warrington Wolves 8-0 in a tense affair, whilst their academy side also made the Grand Final, but just lost out to the Wolves.
Announcing via Instagram that he would be taking on the new role, he said:
“Unbelievably proud to become assistant to my very good friend [Chev Walker] at [Leeds Rhinos] academy & reserves and be part of the coaching team.”
“Such a massive honour to come back to Leeds and help with the next generation of stars.”
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