Wembley hold special memories for Leeds Rhinos boss Richard Agar - and he wants more in Challenge Cup final against Salford Red Devils

Though he spent his playing career in the lower divisions, Agar is steeped in the competition’s history over the past 40 years.

His father, Allan, now 71, coached Featherstone Rovers to one of the greatest upsets seen at Wembley when the small town club stunned star-studded Hull in the 1983 final.

Twenty two years later Agar was an assistant to John Kear when Hull beat Rhinos at Cardiff.

He coached Hull in the 2008 final defeat by St Helens and was on the backroom staff at Warrington Wolves when they lost to Hull four years ago.

Tomorrow afternoon Agar, appointed in May, 2019, will mastermind Rhinos’ bid to lift the trophy for a 14th time, when they face Salford Red Devils behind closed doors at the national stadium.

And, though the stadium has changed, looking around Wembley will inevitably bring back memories of when Rovers shocked the rugby league world 37 years ago.

“I remember it well, even though it’s a long time ago,” Agar said.

“I would have been 10 or 11 years old.

“Featherstone got off to a great start, scored the first points through David Hobbs and it was an absolute cliffhanger of a finale.

“They went behind and I can remember having a big blue and white Rovers flag and I snapped it on the wall in front of me when James Leuluai scored under the posts to put Hull up.

“Then there was the fairytale finish and getting in the changing rooms at Wembley was a big deal for me at that time. I got to go down the tunnel and enjoy the changing room after the game.

“My dad was doing television interviews and I got pulled into the shot, so for a 10 or 11-year-old that was a really big deal for me.”

Agar added: “Featherstone is a small town and a tight community and it was a wonderful time.

“My mum had been sick with cancer the year before and as my mum was coming out of that my dad took the Featherstone job and within a number of months they had won at Wembley, so on a personal note it was a special time in our lives and almost a fairy story for us.”

As someone immersed by rugby league since birth, it was inevitable Agar would follow in his father’s footsteps, but the Leeds coach insisted he has in fact “trodden my own path”.

He said: “People naturally assume, because of his history in the game and the fact he [Allan] was a coach and a player for a long period of time, we talk about rugby all the time and he gives me advice.

“He never has done. I have always trodden my own path. A number of times I have made my own decisions and been prepared to stand or fall by them.

“He has always allowed me to do that and never - if I get it right or I get it wrong - does he pick me up on it.

“He lets me get on with it and he’s at the point in his life now where he sits back and watches and enjoys it.”

Even so, Agar had an insight into coaching from a young age. He recalled: “On Sunday nights he’d be at home doing the video and we’d sit and go through that with him.

“Quite often we’d knock some statistics up as he was doing that.

“I can remember watching the [1983] Challenge Cup final back and doing a statistical analysis on tackles and carries and what happened in the game. From being a baby I was brought up in the game.”

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Laura Collins