Leeds Rhinos remain on high alert against coronavirus threat says Richard Agar

Players and staff have been tested twice for the illness, all with a negative result, but coach Richard Agar has stressed the need for everyone at the club to remain “vigilant”.

Leeds are now into their second week of training and are due to make their playing comeback against Huddersfield Giants on Sunday, August 2.

Though training during a pandemic offers unique challenges, Agar stressed the staff and players are following guidelines and determined to minimise any risks.

“The rules aren’t in place to be a pain, they are there for a reason,” Agar warned.

“We are getting gentle reminders from our staff about the need to be socially distant, even when we are addressing the guys on the field.

“We are getting them to space out more and keep contact to a minimum and all the close contacts are being monitored.”

Close contact is deemed to be where two players’ heads are close together for three seconds. Sessions are being filmed and Agar said: “We go through [the video of] training and see where the close contacts have been, so if this person tests positive we understand who his close contacts have been with and they are the first ones to go and get tested.

“Keeping close contacts to a minimum is challenging in our sport, but we understand the guidelines are there for a reason. If one guy goes down we don’t want another 10 or 15 going down. If we can keep that to none, or one or two, that’s a result for us.”

Agar described the guidelines as “different and a challenge”.

He said: “It is a new way of working so some of the weights sessions are truncated.

“We can only get smaller groups in the weights so the days are extended a bit and, unfortunately, some groups have to wait a bit longer, because you can’t get as many people in the gym.

“But we have got to adapt and we will adapt. We will get used to it.”

Agar has been impressed by the way his players have thrown themselves back into work after four months’ unwanted break.

“They have been great,” the coach said.

“It is good to be back, training has been vibrant, the majority have looked after themselves incredibly well. We thought the skill would be a little bit rusty, and it was to an extent, but they’ve picked it up very quickly.

“We emphasised this was an area of concentration and improvement where we need to get back up to speed really quickly and they’ve been fantastic.”

After so long without a game – and no group training – Agar feels the physical side of the game will be hardest to come to terms with.

Assistant-coach Jamie Jones-Buchanan has been overseeing those preparations and Agar reported: “Jonesy has done a great job on the gradual build-up of contact with them.

“Strength and contact, with a two- to three-week [preparation] period, is going to be the biggest challenge for us all, but our first sessions have been good. Given the unknown we were facing, it has given us a lot of comfort that they are in such good nick.

“The skill has been great, they are competing hard and there’s a tremendous vibrancy and positivity about being back, as I am sure there is at all clubs.”

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