Inside New Zealand Warriors’ training for Raiders Las Vegas clash

For seventy minutes Warriors assistant coach Richard Agar directed, observed and corrected New Zealand’s attack ahead of their Las Vegas clash against the Raiders. WATCH THE VIDEO.

For seventy minutes Warriors assistant coach Richard Agar directed, observed and helped correct New Zealand’s attack.

Agar agreed to wear a microphone for this masthead during the extended session with the decorated English coach taking great joy at a sharp attacking movement before almost being jammed by a player while holding a pad.

Agar is measured and in control when delivering his messages. He is straight to the point and doesn’t overload the team with endless chatter.

As the attacking coach he had already taken the team through the planned session in the morning before the Warriors hopped on the bus and travelled about 30 minutes from the team’s hotel to one of the rare grass surfaces in Las Vegas.

Warriors assistant coach Richard Agar was mic’d up for a training session ahead of their Las Vegas clash against the Raiders. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“Make your strip even wider,” he tells halfback Luke Metcalf. “Tell them to get a bit more width. Moments later he tells the halfback to “dart” before an ecstatic “good job” endorsement after liking what he saw.

Sporting a Warriors polo with a jumper wrapped around his neck, Agar walks up and down the field with his trusty training plan always in his hand.

The near 30 degree day is a long-way from the English winters he experienced during a near 30-year stint as a player and then coach in the UK.

The soccer pitch has Agar asking a few questions.

“Is this right dimensions or is it smaller?” Agar pondered. “It’s tiny.” While he had eyes mostly for attack he can’t help but praise some good moments in defence.

“It’s good d,” Agar said when his attacking unit is shut down. “It’s good d boys.”

But when his team got the better of the defence he was quick to jump in.

Agar had some advice for Warriors halfback Luke Metcalf. Picture: AFP

“Left edge..gotta get to four,” he told him said. “It’s on..ahh nice. That’s the play.”

Fellow coaching staff member Stacey Jones is quick to point out an alleged change in Agar’s demeanor.

“Ahh you’re mic’d up,” the Kiwi legend said toward the end of the session. “I’ve never heard you talk so much.”

Agar though had more pressing matters at hand when he stood as a third-man in on a pad drill to complete the session.

“More pad on them boys,” he tells the likes of Bunty Afoa. Agar got his wish moments later when he was almost steamrolled.

“Ohh..I thought you were coming straight at me,” Agar said. Before telling Dylan Walker; “awesome Dylan I didn’t even get a pad on you.”

* The NRL has helped fund our team’s travel expenses to Las Vegas