Leeds Rhinos begin search for new assistant-coach as former Featherstone Rovers boss Ryan Carr jets home

Leeds Rhinos have begun their search for a new assistant-coach.
Ryan Carr. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.Ryan Carr. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.
Ryan Carr. Picture by Bruce Rollinson.

Ryan Carr was heading home to Australia today (Tuesday) just a day after it was confirmed he is leaving his roles as head-coach at Featherstone Rovers and assistant to Leeds boss Richard Agar for “family reasons”.

As previously reported in The Yorkshire Evening Post, Carr told both clubs some time ago and Rovers have already lined up former Wakefield Trinity coach James Webster to take over their hot seat for 2020. Webster’s exit from his previous role as an assistant at Hull KR was confirmed last week.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Carr joined Rhinos on a part-time basis in July and Agar was keen to keep him on board, but stressed Leeds have not been left in the lurch.

“We have got a number of full-time coaches in place,” Agar said. “This is not something we have just found out about, we have known for a while this would be the case. We will have a look out there - we probably do need to bring another coach on to our coaching team.”

Carr, 31, joined Rovers from New South Wales Cup side Mounties and guided them to fifth place in the Betfred Championship, despite arriving just a week before their first game

They then won elimination play-offs at the three teams immediately above them on the table before losing in the Grand Final at league leaders Toronto Wolfpack.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Clubs Down Under have taken note of that success and his work at Leeds and NRL club Parramatta Eels are understood to be keen to add Carr to their staff.

Agar said: “He did a fantastic job for us while doing the Featherstone job as well.

“Both clubs will say he is an extremely hard-working coach who did an outstanding job for both teams.

“When we knew he was leaving Featherstone we were interested in keeping him on, but that wasn’t possible.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Carr told the YEP he is sad to be leaving both Featherstone and Leeds, but had to put his young family first.

“I love my players and I’ve really enjoyed coaching this group,” he said of his time at Rovers. “I’ve been lucky to have a great group who bought into me and everything we’ve been trying to do together.

“For me, it is a case of doing what’s best for myself and my family.

“I hate to be selfish, but sometimes you have to.

“Looking after my family is my first job, not being a footy coach. My second job is rugby league.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Carr added: “I judge if I have had a good tenure by whether the club is in a better place when I leave than it was when I joined.

“I can honestly say it is and that’s important to me.

“They are in a good position to move forward, with a settled squad and a good finish to this year.”

Of Rhinos, Carr said: “I have enjoyed my time at Leeds too, I’ve loved working with Richard Agar and the players there.

“The players and staff there are fantastic and it is a wonderful organisation.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“If my circumstances had been a bit different it would have been a good fit, I have appreciated my time there just as much as at Featherstone.”

Carr confirmed he is set to join the staff at a club in Australia’s NRL.