Agar: Wildcats’ talks to sign Gareth Ellis ‘never got off the ground’

Ellis, who came through the Wakefield youth ranks and played over 100 games in the red, white and blue, will join Hull FC on a three-year contract from next season.

His request for an early release from his contract with NRL side Wests Tigers to return to Super League alerted a whole host of clubs, including Wildcats.

But Agar believes there was only one club going to bag the England international.

“I don’t think it’s something [signing Ellis] I was ever banking too much on,” said Agar.

“There were probably a couple of clubs, Hull and Leeds, that were going to weigh in heavy for him. I don’t think our talks, while we expressed an interest, with Gareth’s advisor, ever got off the ground.

“I think there was always going to be one favourite club for that given some of the links that are in there and obviously his former club would have been in there punching fairly heavily as well.”

Black and Whites coach Peter Gentle worked with Ellis at Wests and his relationship with the 30-year-old second rower was likely a key factor in Ellis’s decision to move to the KC Stadium.

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