KNOWN in the east part of Hull, former Hull KR head coach Justin Morgan left quite a legacy on Rovers during his seven-year spell at the club.
After earning promotion to Super League in 2007, Morgan guided Rovers to Super League safety the year after, becoming a big hit amongst the terraces at Craven Park.
Of course, the 47-year-old left KR at the end of the 2011 season to return to Australia as an assistant coach, but he revealed that he had Super League offers to stay – and was very close to one move in particular.
“I was weighing up whether to stay in Super League before I came back to Australia,” Morgan told League Express.
“I was very close to signing with one, but at the time I had my heart set on being an assistant coach as I had been a head coach from the start of my career.”
Morgan signed on as an assistant coach to the Canberra Raiders for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, replacing Quentin Pongia, before becoming assistant coach at the Melbourne Storm in 2014.
Morgan re-joined the New Zealand Warriors for the 2016 season, as an assistant coach where he has been ever since.
Now, the 47-year-old has linked up with a name that will be very familiar to Super League fans – former Leeds Rhinos head coach Richard Agar.
Agar left the Rhinos midway through the 2022 Super League season after a dreadful run of form had left Leeds close to the bottom of the table.
The former Hull FC and Wakefield Trinity boss was appointed as New Zealand Warriors assistant coach towards the back end of 2022, and Morgan has lauded praise upon Agar’s impact so far at the club.
“I’ve known Rich a long time, we stayed in touch for a number of years after I left Super League,” Morgan continued.
“Technically he is very, very good. He’s got a nice, calm demeanour about himself and you can tell he’s a very experienced coach. I’ve learnt so much form him in the first few months that we’ve been working together.
“Like all coaches we all see the game through different eyes and it’s always god to work with new coaches because you get a different perspective on things.
“It’s been great to work with Rich. We’ve always talked footy but this is the first time I’ve worked with him and I’m enjoying it. His demeanour around the players is exceptional.”
