Watch - Leeds Rhinos: Coach Furner is on mission to rebuild the Rhinos

The former forward, a member of Leeds’ 2004 Grand Final-winning side, has been charged with managing the transition from the squad which won eight Super League titles in 14 seasons to a new generation of champions.

Furner took over at the start of pre-season training last November and has tasted victory just once in his first seven games in charge.

Leeds were in front in five of their six defeats without being able to see the game out and the low point came last Friday when they let an eight-point lead slip in the final six minutes at home to promoted London Broncos.

That was a shattering blow to players, coaching staff and fans alike, but Furner insisted he will not be distracted from his ultimate goal.

Speaking at his weekly press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Catalans Dragons he pledged: “It’s all about building this team.

“For me, probably frustration is the word.

“There’s been a couple of games we probably could have closed off, but the other frustration is just building the same team week-in, week-out.

“That’s the challenge for a coach, I am certainly looking forward to it and I am very focused.”

Sitting second from bottom of the Betfred Super League table with almost a quarter of their games played, relegation is a looming danger for Rhinos.

This year’s wooden-spoonists will drop down to the Championship, but Furner insisted: “I haven’t had a look [at the table].

“I just know I need to focus on the team.

“As coaching staff we need to prepare the team in the best way we can. That’s the challenge week-in, week-out and that’s why we are in the position we are.”

Furner has seen enough to believe Rhinos can be a force when they get their game together.

He added: “I think we’ve got to stop looking at negatives.

“We have had some really good opportunities of beating the most consistent teams and certainly there’s been things taken out of our hands that stops the momentum.

“They can be big game-changers. For a team that’s fighting to get that respect and wins, sometimes that goes against you, but I always look at where the team can be improved and keep talking about competing at training and then going out and competing on the field.”

As grim as their current situation is, Rhinos are only four points outside the play-offs zone.

“What it has shown – which is great for the competition – is it is going to be very close,” Furner observed of the opening quarter of the season.

“We have just got to look at refocusing each week because it is a long season.

“I would like to get a bit more stability in the team, we have had some injuries, but I am liking what the squad produce at training and we have just got to keep working hard because I feel the harder you work the luckier you can be.”

Though the result went against them Furner is adamant there were some encouraging signs last week.

He revealed: “We probably had our least missed tackles, we made 400-odd metres more and we made eight line-breaks to four – and you think how did you lose the game?

“The loss itself takes a bit of confidence out of the team, but we have got to dust ourselves off and look forward to this week.

“It is as simple as that, because when you do have a look at some of those stats they lean in our favour. You’ve got to take some positives out of there. We have been focusing heavily on our defence and those last plays – we just can’t stop until we’ve got the ball back.

“What I like about the group is they want to keep working for each other.

“That’s what we need to do. That game [last week] can take a bit of confidence out, but we also have to look at what we did really well.

“We were 8-0 down and in the second half we refocused and got ourselves back in the game and we were leading.

“It hurts, but now it’s about this week and Catalans, their players, their threats and how we want to play.

“That’s what the players turned their attention to coming in on Monday.

“That is what they are focusing on.”