Ex-Leeds Rhinos boss Richard Agar continues rugby league World Cup role from 11,000 miles away

Agar was announced as part of Samoa’s backroom staff in May and was on board for the following month’s Test against Cook Islands, but has since got a job as assistant-coach with NRL outfit New Zealand Warriors.

Samoa boss Matt Parish has drafted in Castleford Tigers’ coach Lee Radford for the World Cup, but said Agar - who resigned his Rhinos post in March - remains involved from the other side of the planet.

“I am in contact with Rich,” Parish said. “He is overseas, he has got a job over there which we are really happy with.

“He had a really good impact on us in June. Circumstances are he had to do some stuff, but he has been in regular contact.”

Radford was a late addition to Samoa’s staff, but is already making an impact, according to Parish. He said: “Lee has been fantastic for us, he has done an amazing job so far.

“He is someone we are really leaning on the whole tournament, not just this weekend, with his experience and his knowledge.

“Forget about the English game, he has got wonderful knowledge of the game, full stop. He’s a super guy and a super coach.”

Samoa have never got past the World Cup quarter-finals but will go into Saturday as favourites, having named a 24-man squad packed with NRL talent including six players from Grand Final winners Penrith Panthers.

Parish insisted: “It doesn’t really worry me whether we are favourites or not, we just need to go out and play well.

“I have a bit of a chuckle about that, Samoa has never beaten England so I don’t know how we can be favourites.

“We have got some players who have played Origin and Grand Finals, now we need to get some continuity and combine together and connect and go out there and play together as a team.

“A champion team will always beat a team of champions - we need to get our team together.”