Widdop is a wanted man says Agar

New England Rugby League international Gareth Widdop is being watched from afar, that’s according to Hull FC coach Richard Agar.

The Airlie Birds coach was talking to the Independent Rugby league podcast Tryline when he made the comments in response to a question about whether his inclusion in the England squad was a surprise.

Agar said; “Like a lot of Super League coaches, there will be plenty of people of aware of Gareth Widdop’s talents. People will have had their eye on him for a while.”

Agar also went on to say that he believed the youngster had an opportunity to make an impact, adding;

“It’s an opportunity for him in what I consider to be a very open field. There are a lot of very high quality overseas full backs playing in this country and there’s probably a clutch of young Englishmen all fighting out for this position. And Steve (McNamara) probably feels that he is in better form at the moment and wants to have a closer look at him.”

The Hull FC boss was also full of praise for his own club’s international representative Tom Briscoe, who he believes is benefitting from targets that have been set for him within the club.

Agar said; ”Six or seven weeks we challenged Tom. We thought he had just slipped a little under the standards that we are used to from him and he’s certainly answered us in the right fashion. The extra work he’s putting in, the extra training and the combinations that our guys are working, Tommy’s been the major benefactor of those”.

In the podcast, in which Tom Briscoe also guests in a brief conversation about his call-up, Richard Agar also talks about those who may have missed out on Steve McNamara’s first squad, the issues raised by the Leeds Rhinos Chief Executive about wrestling tactics in the game and the controversy that has been caused by Terry Newton’s autobiography relating to drugs in Rugby League.

You can listen to Tryline here at independent.co.uk by clicking here or listen to it on iTunes by clicking here.