Richard Agar wants ‘cohesive leadership’ to help rugby league through problems

RICHARD Agar has called for ‘cohesive leadership’ to guide rugby league through its latest Covid-19 crisis.

Super League is set to begin talks over a realignment with the Rugby Football League after their ‘breakaway’ in 2018.

In the meantime, clubs are ploughing through a horrendously tough fixture list with games being cancelled or postponed, the latest being today’s between Salford and Wakefield, plus the Red Devils trip to Hull on Monday.

That means a hugely tough ask on players, with scratch sides often being fielded just to complete commitments – especially last week when England faced the Combined Nations All Stars.

And Leeds coach Agar believes it is time for the sport to properly pull together to get the game through in as strong a position as possible.

For just like skipper Luke Gale says, the quality is being diluted by the fixture pile-up and lengthy injury lists.

He said: “Of course they are. It’s there for everyone to see.

“When you take 36 of the best players out of the competition and throw them in an international when Super League matches were being played, then throw three games in eight or 10 days, of course it’s going to affect it.

“Did anyone expect any different? Jermaine McGillvary’s an elite player in our competition and he echoed some fairly common sentiments within the game at the moment.

“There’s difficulties from all ends. We understand the challenges the game faces, that club face and that chairmen and CEOs face too. Whether we’ve got this one right is up for debate.

“Our game should be striving to get the strongest England team out at the end of the year but the load on our elite players is a big one at the moment.

“The bulk of my press conferences have been, ‘What sort of team are you going to have out?’ It’s a difficult situation and I understand every point of view.

“But we’re looking for some cohesive leadership.”