Richard Agar says he has no desire to return to rugby league as head coach any time soon – but admits that could change in the future. Agar stepped down as Leeds Rhinos boss in March following a disastrous start to the season, bringing to an end his near three-year reign.
It remains to be seen if the 50-year-old Yorkshireman will return to Headingley in a different capacity but he will form part of Samoa’s coaching staff at the World Cup this autumn. Beyond that, Agar says he is keeping his options open after recharging his batteries during a family holiday in America and a trip to Australia to watch a number of NRL games.
Agar, speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, said: “I went on holiday and had about a month away [after leaving Leeds]. I thought sat on my hands in my house, feeling the way I felt, was probably not the wisest thing to do.
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“I managed to get away for a bit and took the family over to America and had a holiday. I went to Australia to watch a bit of rugby league, so I’ve been filling my time.
“There are a lot of things you don’t do when you’re a Super League coach, so I’ve been doing bits and bobs in the background but not so much within the game. I’ve been watching anywhere, I reckon, between 10 and 20 games a week depending on what the schedules look like.
“I’m not missing not being at rugby league games, so I’m certainly getting a fill of that. We’ll see what happens, but at this moment in time I’m not in any particular rush.”
Asked if he would like to return to the game as a head coach, Agar replied: “You never say never but right at this moment in time, no.
“After stepping out of a job like that, I think the last thing I feel like doing at this moment in time is going and being a head coach. You never say never because there can be twists and turns and you start to feel a different way. But at this moment in time it’s not something that’s really high on my agenda.
“I’ve had a really good and enjoyable time as a head coach at wonderful clubs, I’ve had opportunities to go to Challenge Cup finals and Grand Finals, and I’ve had some terrific experiences out of the game. But I’m probably at a different point in my life where I still love the sport and think there are jobs in there I’d like to do, I’m not particularly worried about the stresses and strains of looking after 35 blokes at this moment in time. But we’ll see – that could change.”
Agar guided Leeds to Challenge Cup glory in 2020 – his only major trophy as a head coach – and had been tipped to lead them to a title challenge this season. That did not materialise but he believes the resurgent Rhinos, now under the guidance of Rohan Smith, can make the play-offs in the coming months.
Agar added: “When I stepped out from my time at Leeds, I thought it was a really talented team and that if they got on board with each other – and the coach – then there is a long time to go in this year. I think we saw on Friday night a fantastic performance – they had that energy with the ball, moved the ball really well and stayed connected defensively.
“I think that is a really talented team if they can keep the top team and the top players on the park. With a real shot in the arm in terms of confidence, I really think they can kick on and really challenge for the play-off spots.”
