Wakefield Trinity v Leeds Rhinos: Richard Agar warns 'we can take nothing for granted in Super League play-offs race'

Rhinos’ victory at Wigan Warriors last Wednesday, plus defeats for Hull KR and Hull the following evening, left them fifth in Betfred Super League with four rounds of the regular season remaining.

Leeds could be fourth by the end of Monday, if they win at Wakefield Trinity and Wigan are beaten away to Castleford Tigers, but Agar insisted they still have some hard work to do.

After Wakefield, Rhinos face fellow top-six contenders Hull and Hull KR either side of a trip to champions St Helens - who are second - and the coach insisted he is not looking at the league ladder.

“We just need to concentrate on ourselves and the league table will take care of itself,” he stated.

“We can’t take anything for granted, there’s plenty of twists and turns can happen if you don’t get your performance right.

“We are in a better spot than we were in that we can control our destiny from here on in and that starts at Wakefield on Monday.”

Based on the table, the trip to Wakefield is the most straight-forward of Rhinos’ four remaining games, but Agar, a former Trinity team boss, knows the danger they will pose.

Trinity are 10th, but have won two of their three games since ex-Leeds player and assistant-coach Willie Poching took caretaker charge.

Leeds trailed 16-4 in Super League round one before battling to a 28-22 victory and needed an extra-time penalty to win the sides’ most recent meeting, three months ago.

Agar said: “They are a capable team with some really capable players.

“Wakefield away can be a graveyard, it is not the most salubrious of surroundings and I say that having absolutely loved my time as coach there.

“The changing rooms aren’t like they are at Headingley and the warm-up sometimes can get you.

“We need to be on guard and make sure we are 100 per cent right in the frame of mind we turn up in, on a short turnaround against a team who have regained some confidence in themselves over the last three or four weeks.”

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