General Manager of Football Dean Bell is leaving the New Zealand Warriors National Rugby League club.
Since returning home from England in 2007, Bell has worked in roles in recruitment, retention, team management and welfare.
Dean Bell playing for the Warriors 1995. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
52-year-old Bell says now is the time to look for some challenges outside of football.
He says they have a house north of Auckland and he and his wife are keen to move there.
Bell says he's been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to make a living out of the game, first as a player for 14 years and then in many off-field roles for the last 20 years.
Bell says while he was moving away from a near-lifetime involvement with rugby league his passion for the game would remain.
He says Warriors teams have played a big part in his life through both the Wigan Warriors and the New Zealand Warriors.
Bell says leading the Auckland Warriors out for our first game in 1995 will live with him for the rest of his life.
Bell says the improvement in the club's training facilities was also highlight as was the effort by the club to welcome back ex-players Stacey Jones, Ruben Wiki, Jerry Seuseu, Duane Mann and Jerome Ropati and to see their development in off-field roles.
As a result of Bell's departure today, Warriors managing director Jim Doyle says football operations manager Dan Floyd will head up development while Duane Mann will continue in his role as academy and pathways manager.
Floyd will also oversee player retention.
