Leeds Rhinos "always looking" for new signings - but will give youth a chance

Eleven players who featured for Rhinos last year have moved on and another five, who had a 2019 squad number but did not make the team, have also left the club.

Rhinos have made only five signings, though a vacancy has been left in their squad for another addition.

Agar confirmed they are “always looking”, but stressed a deliberate policy is to make Leeds’ crop of highly-rated youngsters the core of the side.

“Whether you have space on your quota or cap you are always looking at ways to improve your team,” Agar conceded ahead of Sunday's Betfred Super League opener at home to Hull.

“But it is important to stress where we have come from and the work that has gone into it. It is a team and a club that, for different reasons, were in a bit of a hole.

“There was a roster we felt needed some work and we are really happy with our recruitment, not only the style and quality of player that has come in, but also the type of people they are too.

"That is really important. Even during last year when we were at the bottom of the league and going through that relegation fight and feeling that external pressure, it was important we kept calm, we had some processes and we had a plan.

“Leeds over the last 20 years have been built on the pathway kids that have come through, with quality additions from overseas or this country coming in. I look at Jack Walker, Harry Newman, Cameron Smith, Mikolaj Oledzki, Tommy Holroyd, Cal McLelland - we have got an embarrassment of riches.

"I think the important thing for us now is not just to build for this year, we want to build and go on a journey and put some things in place that are going to last.”

Agar insisted: “My responsibility as coach of this club is to show a bit of faith in these kids.

"They are not going to play every week and they are not all going to be in the team together, but it is so hard to go out into the market and buy a new team so we have got to build and go on this journey together and put some foundations in place standard-wise and culture-wise and - from a rugby league point of view - put some principles in place.

“All these young kids need a pathway to come through.

"The signings of Galey [Luke Gale] and Matty Prior are important to us, to have that sprinkling of knowhow and experience and guys who know how to get it done.

"We are genuinely excited. We understand there will be improvements to make along the way and we are not setting any targets, other than we are a consistently competitive team and every time we pull the jumper on we are going to give our best.”

The coach is aware of the pressure on Rhinos to reverse their recent slump.

He stressed: “We know it is Leeds Rhinos and the shirt weighs heavier than most.

"There’s an expectation and a responsibility around us, but we are ready to embrace that. We are not going to shirk and shy away from it.

"The pressures we faced last year, externally, I don’t think ever got to us internally, certainly during my 15 games.

"We know where we are and how hard we have to work, but we are really excited about coming in to work every day and that’s good.”

After winning their opening Super League game every year from 2001 to 2015, Rhinos have lost three of the last four round one fixtures.

Hull are widely tipped to do well in 2020, but Agar admitted: “What’s not going to be a tough game at this stage?”

He said: “In round one everybody’s really positive off the back of their pre-season and there’s a bit of an unknown about everyone too, what teams have been working on and where their strengths and weaknesses might or might not be.

"The recruitment tells you how Hull are basing their game, on size and power.

"They’ve signed Josh Jones and Manu Ma’u, there’s a couple of guys they’ve recruited from New Zealand Warriors [Tevita Satae and Ligi Sao] up front.

"They have big wingers and big centres and they are a big, powerful, explosive team.

"One thing I’d always look at when playing Hull is the spine of the team. Whichever combination it is - wherever they fit Albert Kelly or Jake Connor into the team - it is fairly established and they know each other’s game.

"At the same time, we are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of those players too, but certainly combating the explosive power of their big guys is going to be a key.”