Leeds Rhinos v Hull KR - Coach Richard Agar not fazed by fixture pile-up

A FIXTURE pile-up is fine for Leeds Rhinos coach Richard Agar - if it means his side reaching Wembley.
Leeds Rhinos coach Richard Agar. Picture: Phil Daly/Leeds Rhinos/SWpix.com.Leeds Rhinos coach Richard Agar. Picture: Phil Daly/Leeds Rhinos/SWpix.com.
Leeds Rhinos coach Richard Agar. Picture: Phil Daly/Leeds Rhinos/SWpix.com.

With two months of the regular season remaining, Rhinos have played only nine of their scheduled 20 Betfred Super League matches and will have three extra games to fit in if they go all the way in the Coral Challenge Cup.

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Rhinos begin their Cup campaign with a quarter-final against Hull KR at St Helens tonight, knowing full Super League rounds are planned for midweek ahead of next month’s semi-finals and final.

Leeds Rhinos' Tom Holroyd has impressed head coach Richard Agar. Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.Leeds Rhinos' Tom Holroyd has impressed head coach Richard Agar. Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.
Leeds Rhinos' Tom Holroyd has impressed head coach Richard Agar. Picture: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.
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But Agar stressed: “If the trade off for a fixture pile-up is the Challenge Cup final, we’d take that every day.”

He said: “We had 32 players training this week and I have said all along we are prepared to find out some nice things this year.

“We have got some guys waiting in the wings - Tommy Holroyd, Jarrod O’Connor, Sam Walters - and if we have a fixture pile-up and we have to find out about some of those players, we might actually be pleasantly surprised.

“We are only viewing that as a positive and a challenge. If a fixture pile-up impacts on our league position, so be it - but our first port of call is trying to get this one done [tonight].

Leeds Rhinos' Sam Walters is on the brink of first-team selection. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe/JPIMedia.Leeds Rhinos' Sam Walters is on the brink of first-team selection. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe/JPIMedia.
Leeds Rhinos' Sam Walters is on the brink of first-team selection. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe/JPIMedia.
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“We are not thinking about finals, we have got an exciting challenge and a sizeable one this week, but there won’t be a game we play this year - fixture pile-up, Covid or no fixture pile-up - when we won’t get a team on the park we think can do ourselves justice and we aren’t excited about watching.”

Rhinos need to get past a revitalised Hull KR side before they start thinking about Cup glory.

Rovers are bottom of Super League, but have beaten Wigan Warriors and taken St Helens to extra-time in their past two games.

“Their performances over the last two weeks have been challenging and they are really heading in the right direction,” Agar said.

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“We have been a bit patchy [since the resumption] but, after a difficult start, we’ve got two wins on the trot.

“It is a good opportunity for both clubs to make it through to a semi-final.

“To play one game and then find yourself in a Challenge Cup semi-final, we’d all be grateful for that.

“It is a fast route through to a big game.”

Despite the wins against Salford Red Devils and Huddersfield Giants, Agar reckons Rhinos haven’t regained the form they were in before the Covid-19 shutdown - particularly on attack.

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He said: “Our start wasn’t great last week but, after the first 10 minutes, I thought we defended all right.

“We conceded a try after four minutes and not another one for 76 minutes.

“I was happy with that aspect of it and the way they worked for each other, but we got too comfortable trying to play one-out through the middle.

“One thing we worked hard on in pre-season was wanting to and being prepared to pass the ball.

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“I thought before Covid we were a pretty good team to watch, the way we were prepared to pass the ball.

“We have shown signs of that, but I still think we have got more in terms of how we use the ball in attack than what we’ve seen, apart from in little bursts.

“That has been a focus this week, but I also think our commitment to each other in defence has got a lot better over the last two performances.”

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