Richard Agar hopes Leeds Rhinos find the right tempo
It would be no surprise, then, if both feature when the famous BBC Radio 2 presenter brings her 90s Anthems Live DJ Set to Emerald Headingley tonight.
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Hide AdAs precursors to a Super League game go, it will be a great opportunity to set the tempo.
Then it will be up to Leeds Rhinos to follow suit as they go on the attack themselves against Warrington Wolves.
The West Yorkshire club are hoping for a third successive win but head coach Richard Agar concedes he still does not feel like they have found their rhythm.
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Hide AdThat said, he doesn’t believe anyone truly has as they prepare for the Round Five contest.
Warrington, for instance, are one of the pre-season title favourites but have already lost twice at Wigan Warriors and Wakefield Trinity.
Leeds have beaten Salford Red Devils and Hull KR back-to-back after seeing their game at Huddersfield Giants postponed and losing heavily at home to Hull FC on opening night.
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Hide AdAgar – who worked as coach under Warrington head of rugby Tony Smith from 2015-2017 – said: “It is a good challenge.
“I have said all along we are still a relatively young team and we are still learning.
“We are still learning about ourselves and working out what’s our best footy. When you look at the competition over the past four weeks, people are still finding their way.
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Hide Ad“Nobody has really played outstanding football for three or four weeks on the trot.
“Teams have had some good halves and some bad halves.
“This is a terrific challenge for us and one we are looking forward to.”
Warrington won the Challenge Cup last year but then fell away badly. The ‘marquee’ signing of England half-back Gareth Widdop, who is paired with Great Britain tourist Blake Austin, sees them as potentially one of the competition’s most creative sides especially with another Test player Daryl Clark at hooker.
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Hide AdEngland prop Chris Hill, their captain, returns tonight as well after a three-game ban so Leeds will be pleased to see their own international skipper – Papua New Guinea’s Rhyse Martin – and Joe Greenwood, their new loan signing from Wigan, in their own squad.
“They have got an exceptional squad, a deep squad,” Agar warned.
“They have a highly-decorated and effective spine.
“If you are loose around the ruck they will pick you off and Chris Hill coming back will help them, give them that size and solidity in the middle.
“They are a good team.”
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Hide AdMeanwhile, Leeds have real concerns for captain Stevie Ward. Agar revealed yesterday that the second-row has been stood down “indefinitely” as the club tries to get to the bottom of a worrying concussion issue.
Ward, 26, has not featured since going off in that game against Hull on February 2 and is due to have an MRI scan.
“He’s failed his return-to-play protocols for the past three weeks,” said Agar. “For him to still be showing symptoms after three weeks is concerning.
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Hide Ad“As soon as he’s started exercise, the dizziness and blurred vision have come back, so we’re sending him down to see a specialist in London to have some more cognitive tests.”
The two-time Grand Final winner has struggled with a number of concussions in recent years and Agar added: “The person we’re sending him to had 10 cases in rugby union last year of concussions that lasted three months.
“We’re not saying Stevie is going to be out for three months but it tells you when you are dealing with things like this it is not straightforward. We’re leaving this in the hands of the medical experts as it is certainly not one we can take lightly.”