YORK City Knights head coach Richard Agar should be given the chance to work his way onto the Great Britain backroom staff - with a view to one day getting the top job.

That is the opinion of Knights chief executive Steve Ferres, who has called for Rugby Football League chiefs to check out coaches across the professional spectrum - not just in Super League - with the idea of grooming apprentices to Brian Noble.

The new Lions boss has yet to announce the make-up of his backroom team, with Huddersfield boss Jon Sharp and former York player Graham Steadman, the ex-Castleford coach, being tipped for roles. But Ferres believes the RFL should go one step further and school a batch of upcoming coaches in part-time roles on the GB staff, and he says Agar has all the necessary qualities to be among them.

"They are looking at getting an assistant coach (to Brian Noble) but there are other people who have got a good future in the game - like Richard Agar - whom they should consider giving an opportunity to get involved," Ferres explained.

"I believe they ought to be looking further down the road and look at people they can groom to be part of the set-up.

"He would not be the assistant coach but he would assist and have an involvement with a view to effectively being an apprentice. It would benefit him or somebody like him and it would benefit the national game in the long run.

"It's about having the foresight to get people involved earlier rather than later."

He added: "We appointed David Waite (as the GB coach a few years ago) and when it came to the next one, Brian Noble was the obvious choice, but if we took two or three people on and groomed them it would put the game in a stronger position.

"Nobody is irreplaceable and we've got to be in a position if something went wrong to have somebody who could replace him.

"When we need to make appointments these 'apprentices' would have the upbringing and expertise."

Ferres reckoned Agar was a prime nominee for such a role. "Other people might go for somebody else but in my opinion Richard would be a candidate," he said.

"He's only been a head coach this season but he's an articulate lad, very forward-thinking, has good ideas and is level-headed.

"He has all the attributes to go a long way - but unless somebody interviews him and knows about him and gives him the opportunity, it's wasted to an extent."

Meanwhile, departing utility star Mark Stewart has marvelled at the reception he received from Knights supporters at his last game for the club on Sunday.

The 23-year-old is set to return to his native Australia next month and, as such, the match at home to Gateshead, in which he entered the fray as a first-half substitute on the wing, was to be his last in a York shirt - though he could be back as a supporter himself before returning down under.

"It was a great reception from the fans for me," said Stewart, who was also given an impromptu guard of honour by his team-mates as he left the pitch.

"It was good of them to stick around and give me a clap. I knew it was going to be my last game but I didn't expect too much to be honest. I was just going to leave quietly, but it was good to see them all stick around."

As for the match itself, which saw the Aussie end his York career on a 48-12 winning note, he said: "It was one of those games where we did not play too good in the second half.

"The game was won by half-time and in the second half a lot of plays we were just throwing the ball around and that led to a lot of mistakes. We should have been completing more sets and putting more pressure on."

Updated: 10:27 Tuesday, May 25, 2004