WATCH: Richard Agar delivers simple message as Leeds Rhinos eye Wembley final

Admittedly, they are underdogs against Wigan Warriors in the Coral Challenge Cup semi-final at St Helens but, given their generally excellent form of late, there is little between the Super League rivals.

Agar has experience of such significant games, too, not least from having been Hull FC assistant when they went on to shock Leeds in the 2005 final.

“You have just got to do the basics of the game to an extraordinarily high standard and level for a long period of time,” he said.

“If you do that you are guaranteed at some point in the game to get some opportunities.

“When you get those opportunities you have got to execute them. I’m not one for devising brand new gameplans, confusing the guys, and coming up with fancy trick plays.

“I think it is about going out there, doing what we do and doing it to a phenomenal level for as long as we can.”

Perhaps Agar’s biggest call is on the make-up of his side and deciding whether to select England Knights full-back Jack Walker.

On Wednesday, when Leeds rested most of their side in the 38-4 loss to Catalans Dragons, he played his first game since breaking a foot against Warrington Wolves in February.

Agar said: “We wanted to get him through a game on Wednesday night and he came through that. We knew in one half that we’d seen enough for him to be in contention for this game.

“And then we’ve got Adam Cuthbertson who put himself back in the frame and we’ve got some guys coming back – Cameron Smith from a broken jaw, Brad Dwyer from Covid.

“Alex Sutcliffe played well back from his suspension, too, so it’s how we make up that 17 now and there’s a couple of little quandaries in there.”

Agar is well aware of Wigan’s threats especially with veteran England captain Sean O’Loughlin having returned to fitness in the quarter-final win over Hull.

“O’Loughlin brings another dimension to them,” he said.

“And Bevan French is probably the most exciting individual in the comp’. He is one of those guys as a supporter you would pay to go into the stadium and watch some of the stuff he does.”

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James Mitchinson