Featherstone Rovers’ boss Ryan Carr an ideal temporary fit for struggling Leeds Rhinos

LEEDS RHINOS have taken on the services of Featherstone Rovers head coach Ryan Carr to help bolster their fight against relegation.
Ryan Carr, left.Ryan Carr, left.
Ryan Carr, left.

The Australian, 30, joins as a part-time assistant coach until the end of the season.

Leeds have been without an experienced assistant since James Lowes unexpectedly left for Ealing Trailfinders in April.

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Interim head coach Richard Agar feels Carr – who joined Featherstone from New South Wales Cup side Mounties in January – will prove an ideal temporary fit until the club decide who will be taking complete charge in 2020.

With Featherstone being their dual-registration club, 11 current Rhinos players have played under him this season and their feedback has helped prompt the appointment. Rovers have won seven of their last eight matches while Leeds’s battle to pull clear of the drop zone continues at Castleford Tigers on Friday.

Agar said: “We have been a coach down; there was only Chev (Walker) and me.

“Ryan will be an extra pair of eyes, ears and hands for us on the training field.

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“It was important the schedule allowed this to happen and because most of our games are Friday, our big days are Monday and Tuesday.

“Those are his quiet days and they are part-time so they are training in an evening.

“It strengthens our link with Featherstone. All our players who have worked with Ryan speak very highly of him and I am confident he will be able to deliver what we want.

“It will not impinge on his duties with Featherstone and, if anything, he will get more one-on-one time with some of the guys who are playing for them on a weekend.”

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Castleford, meanwhile, have continued their recruitment plans for 2020.

Having announced the capture of prop George Griffin on Monday, the club last night confirmed they had also signed his Salford Red Devils team-mate Derrell Olpherts on a three-year deal.

The Wakefield-born player started at Dewsbury Rams where he played a handful of matches in 2012 but had a spell out of the game before reappearing at Hemel Stags three years later.

Olpherts then had a prolific two seasons at Newcastle Thunder before getting his chance in Super League at Salford last term at the age of 26.

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Castleford coach Daryl Powell said: “Derrell has been a standout winger in Super League this season.

“His ability to break tackles and make the game quick is outstanding.

“I am confident he will continue to improve in our system and be a part of a quality back division over the coming seasons.”

Tom Holmes and Oli Wilson could both make their debuts for Huddersfield Giants at Salford Red Devils tomorrow.

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Scrum-half Holmes joined from Featherstone last autumn but has spent much of this term recovering from a knee reconstruction before rejoining his former club on loan.

Huddersfield, joint-bottom with London Broncos, Hull KR and Leeds, bought highly-rated England Academy prop Wilson from Bradford Bulls in April.

Elsewhere, England prop George Burgess is starting a nine-game ban after pleading guilty to eye-gouging for the second time in under a year.

The Dewsbury-born player is out of contract at South Sydney at the end of the season and admits his career is “probably in the balance” after his latest misdemeanour on Wests Tigers’ Robbie Farah.