Richard Agar says Leeds ‘going in the right direction’ after beating Hull KR

Correspondent

Leeds coach Richard Agar believes his team are closing in on the big three after reaching the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup.

Second-rower Rhyse Martin scored 20 points with a try and eight goals and hooker Kruise Leeming scored his first tries for the Rhinos as they overcame Hull KR 48-18 in the quarter-finals at St Helens.

Wigan, Warrington and St Helens have dominated the silverware since Leeds won the Super League Grand Final in 2017 but Agar insists his team are close to challenging for honours once more.

REPORT: Leeds 48-18 Hull KR: Rhinos thump Robins to reach Challenge Cup semi-finals

Agar said: “We’ve still a way to go when you look at the benchmark teams but we’re going in the right direction.

“We’ve a level to step up from a consistency point of view if we want to start picking trophies up but I feel we’re on a journey. With some of the younger talents emerging, there are some pretty good signs for us.

“I think we can get excited about the draw tomorrow.”

Leeds never looked back after prop Ava Seumanufagai scored the first of their eight tries five minutes into the tie.

Ash Handley, Tom Briscoe and Harry Newman also touched down as the Rhinos raced into a 24-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Agar added: “We had tricky opponents who have been causing teams real problems but I thought for 60 minutes our application to nullify their attack was very good.

“We were really alive to their kicking game and trick kicks. We were quite clinical in the first half and turned the ball over in a controlled way at times.

“We got a little bit untidy around the sin-binning (of Seumanufagai) but all in all it’s a job well done, we would 100% have settled for that.”

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