Leeds Rhinos boss felt his side "had gone" before dramatic final twist

Captain Luke Gale scored a 76th minute drop goal to clinch a dramatic 17-16 victory against Salford Red Devils at an empty Wembley Stadium.

Leeds, who secured the Cup for the 14th time, had been 12-6 ahead at the interval but Salford powered back to lead 16-12 until Ash Handley’s second try levelled matters in the 65th minute.

Rhinos had lost prop Adam Cuthbertson to an elbow injury at the start of the second period and also saw winger Tom Briscoe - who scored their first try - need to go off for an HIA.

That contributed to them spluttering before retrieving matters at the death and Agar admitted: “I thought we were gone.

“I thought we controlled the first half really well

“There was times in there that we just didn’t quite get our finishes right; they ran the length of field for that kick-return try and there were some poor decisions in there.

“But I still felt things were going to plan

“We knew Salford weren’t going away. They’re a really good team and under-estimated as there’s a lot of experience in that side.

“We talked about trying to improve in some areas in the second half and

then started the first 15 minutes of it in just a terrible fashion.

“I never felt we quite got ourselves back in the game. There was a couple of times there when we looked gone.

“When Briscoe got his head knock, if we’d have lost him we’d have been absolutely goosed with substitutions.

“We’d lost Cuthbo and if Tommy had stayed off I’m not sure we could have managed that last 15 minutes with what we had left in interchanges.

“With him coming back on, and the energy Brad Dwyer gave us - who we wanted to get on a lot earlier but we were holding back because of the difficulties of our bench - as well as the input of Alex Sutcliffe who played a bit of middle and a bit of centre for us, the energy those two brought was magnificent for us.”

Agar added: “I felt our spirit got us through in the end.

“We had some great energy, we came up with some last ditch defence and Luke came up with a clutch play like we all know he can.

“I don't want to be too harsh as we’ve just won the Challenge Cup.

“But I thought we had some poor performers over that second 40 but spirit wise we managed to just do enough.

“I’m really pleased for the players.

“After the embarrassment of losing to Bradford in the Cup last year it is a bit of a resurrection for us turn it around in 12 months.”

Richie Myler won the Lance Todd Trophy as man-of-the-match, the scrum-half continuing his renaissance in the new position of full-back after it looked like he might leave Rhinos following Gale’s arrival from Castleford Tigers ahead of this season.

Agar said: “He nearly signed for Toronto for next year, and the stuff that’s been happening with them has allowed us to nip in again and sign him.

“I can’t say how pleased I am with that. He’s such an important team man, and a popular one at that."

Gale, of course, was released by hometown Leeds as a youngster and he had to kick-start his career with part-timers Doncaster before gradually working his way back up to now win his first major trophy at the age of 32.

Agar said: "His contribution has been fantastic.

"We've asked him to play not a different style for him, but we've probably got some different philosophies and principles from Castleford and the success they had there and brilliant style of play.

"He's had to see the game in a fractionally different way when we've got the ball. He's not short on confidence and when it comes to those moments, he wants to take them and own them.

“To hang in there and have so much success over the last four or five seasons, even being subjected to major injuries, I think that shows what the game means to Luke.

"I told him that, as the winning captain, your name goes on the plaque of the cup, so that's on there forever and I'm really happy for him and really glad we signed him."