Drug use NOT a widespread issue in rugby league says Leeds Rhinos boss Richard Agar

Retired player Oliver Wilkes, who was coached by Agar during a spell at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, told ITV he began taking performance enhancing drugs while he was training with Whitehaven in 2006 and is aware of other players in the sport who also used banned substances.

Wilkes, now 41, made more than 100 top-flight appearances during two stints with Wakefield, from 2008-9 and 2012-13 and featured for 11 different clubs during a 20-year career.

Agar admitted the timing of Wilkes’ claims, at the start of the Super League season, was “disappointing”, but insisted he completely disagrees with the allegations.

Speaking at his weekly Rhinos press conference, Agar said: “My first thoughts were about Oli and what has prompted him to come out with this.

“He is not a guy I’ve had contact with, I think the last time I saw him was when he was with Workington and we played them at home [in a 2019 Challenge Cup tie].

“I hope personally he is okay, that was my first thought. My second is I completely disagree - and I have coached for 20-odd years - that drugs is a widespread problem in our game.

“Not at all. It might be and I might not know about it, I can certainly talk about my club with great confidence now and say that’s not the case.

“I can go back to all the clubs I’ve been at, really and pretty much say that I do not think it is a widespread issue.”

Another retired player, Jamie Acton, who was recently banned for two years after a positive test on a stored sample, has claimed there is a “massive drugs problem in rugby league”.

Agar added: “I think, any sport within the world, you will always find the odd individual that may not make the best choices. We are seeing that at the moment with the [Winter Olympics] ice skating, not that I know too much about that. Whichever sport you go through you may find elements of this, but I would say very, very minor pockets rather than it being widespread in our sport. That’s not something I would particularly lose sleep about.”

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