Inside Rugby League - Personal, emotive stories go hand in hand with the Wembley Challenge Cup finals

Much was made afterwards of Agar having proved his critics wrong, which was true, but his greater achievement was becoming the first son of a Challenge Cup-winning father to achieve the feat himself.

In 1983, Allan Agar famously masterminded one of Wembley’s greatest upsets when Featherstone Rovers beat mighty Hull, in a season during which they also successfully avoided relegation from the top division.

Now - at the second attempt, 12 years after being a coaching runner-up with Hull - Richard Agar has followed in those footsteps and in a similar sort of final.

Like Rovers 37 years ago, Leeds went behind late in the game before hitting back to win it with a kick in the final moments. Steve Quinn was the hero for Rovers with a 77th-minute penalty; Luke Gale’s drop goal four minutes from time enabled Rhinos to defeat Salford Red Devils.

Gale began his career at his home-city club, Leeds, but moved elsewhere to make his name before returning to captain Rhinos to Wembley glory.

Rovers’ captain Terry Hudson signed for his local side, played for Hull KR, Wakefield Trinity and Batley, the last on loan, and then moved back to Post Office Road. Both wore the number seven jersey in the final and lifted the trophy at the end.

Continuing the similarities between the Agars, both began their playing career at Rovers without making a great impact, then joined Dewsbury and played at stand-off in a title-winning team.

Allan Agar wore the number six jumper when Dewsbury beat Leeds in the 1973 Championship final.

Twenty years ago, Richard had the same role in Rams’ Northern Ford Premiership Grand Final victory, booting the winning drop goal against Leigh Centurions.

The pair also both began coaching at a young age, in their early 30s, and were involved in a successful relegation battle with the club who they led to Challenge Cup success

Poignantly, Allan Agar’s appointment as Rovers coach coincided with Richard’s mother going into remission following a long battle with cancer. That made the 1983 Wembley final particularly special for the Agars.

Sadly, the cancer later returned and proved fatal, something which certainly had a bearing on the younger Agar’s strength of character.

Rugby league is a tough game and coaching it provides low moments as well as upbeat ones but, having lost his mother at a young age, Agar must be able to keep on-field matters in proportion. Whatever the sport throws at him, it can’t be worse than that.

Gale’s winning one-pointer may have been written in the stars.

Rob Burrow did not travel to Wembley, but was present in spirit, and winning the Cup for the club legend, who has motor neurone disease, was a huge part of Rhinos’ motivation.

Gale’s career is a lesson in never giving up. Having left Leeds to find first-team rugby, he played outside the top flight for Doncaster and with struggling Super League sides at Harlequins and Bradford Bulls before becoming one of the European game’s most influential players with Castleford Tigers.

Last weekend, at the age of 32, was his first win in a major final.

Gale, of course, wore the shirt so closely associated with Burrow during the final, but it was Richie Myler who inherited it from him at the start of 2018. The reinvented full-back won the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match and that is another remarkable story after he seemed to be heading out of the club at the end of two difficult seasons with Leeds.

He, Gale and Agar have all achieved success at Leeds the hard way, each facing and overcoming his own type of adversity.

If that is the spirit now being built into the club, more honours will surely follow.