ROB Powell told the Chronicle he feared for his job just days before being 'moved behind the scenes' at London Broncos.

Powell had presided over a side which has only won three Super League games all season and prop up the rest of the table.

It is not exactly the impact the club had in mind when it took the decision last year to ditch their Harlequins Rugby League monicker return to the Broncos name of their late 1990s glory days.

This a year after the club took a gamble in promoting rookie Powell from within to head coach following the departure of Brian McDermott to Leeds Rhinos.

It started well enough for Powell, with wins over the likes of Leeds and St Helens, but last season tailed off in disappointing fashion, while this year has been one long struggle.

And while finishing bottom is not fatal as there is no relegation, there will be some sweaty brows in London when the Super League licenses are renewed in two year's time if there is no improvement.

The club is undergoing a top-to-bottom review, and Powell, who was out of contract at the end of the season, stepped down on Tuesday, although he remains at the club.

Earlier in the week, Powell had told the Chronicle: “I've been given no guarantees regarding my job, and the club are well within their rights to do what they think is best.

“We have not been as good this season as we should have been. The buck stops with me, the job of the coach is to get the team to win games.

“I have not been given any, or set any, internal targets. I want to win all seven games we have left, but it's not as if I'm here thinking three wins will mean my job is safe.”

Former Broncos hooker Tony Rea, who was also head coach from 2000 to 2006, has been appointed as Powell's interim replacement.

Rea, who until this week has been working back in his native Australia, will arrive in West London in time to take charge of the Broncos' home game against Wigan Warriors tomorrow.

Powell will remain part of Rea's team until the end of the season, at which point he is likely to take on a development role at the club.