THIS time last year, Karl Harrison was in the thick of a promotion battle at Bradford as assistant to Jimmy Lowes.

Fast forward 12 months and Harrison has left his coaching career behind and is rapidly building up his business as a leading player agent.

How times have changed.

Hours spent on the training field at Tong have been replaced by endless e-mails, phone calls and treks across the M62 to meet players, visit clubs and watch games.

"I'm really loving what I'm doing," says Harrison with a huge smile.

"I've got a sparkle in my eye and a spring back in my step.

"It's great helping out players with their careers because they do need assistance and guidance, especially the younger lads.

"I've been involved in the professional game since 1982 as a player and coach.

"I've also had my own businesses, so I'm business-minded too and can help players plan for life after rugby. I'm enjoying it."

Harrison left Bradford after just one season back at the club he has supported since childhood and also worked as an assistant coach under Brian Noble during the glory days.

The former Great Britain prop left last October feeling underutilised and undervalued – but he remains friends with Lowes and has certainly not sat idle since departing Odsal.

He set up Elite Star Management, a player agency punching its weight in an increasingly crowded market place.

Harrison has a number of promising youngsters on his books, such as Bulls stars Ethan Ryan and Joe Lumb, as well as established Super League players Danny Tickle, Chris Green, Kevin Larroyer and John Boudebza.

Harrison explained: "My workload has actually increased in terms of the hours I do.

"I get phone calls from players between 6am and midnight, just to discuss things and see where they are with everything.

"Signing new players up is difficult because there are quite a few active agents out there to guide players in their contract negotiations and career planning.

"Unless people are out of contract with their existing agent, you can't approach them because they are the rules set out by the RFL.

"If an agent has done a good job for that player, why would they leave their existing agent?

"As a new company, I have highlighted quite a few young players who I think can progress in the game.

"If you look at my portfolio, it's very young and I think that's the avenue I need to go down."

Harrison is busy right now as a number of players whose contracts expire at the end of the season seek to secure new deal at their existing club or elsewhere.

"This time of year is very worrying for players because from May 1, the full-time players will receive a letter from their club informing them whether they will or won't be offered a new contract or whether the club is undecided," he said.

"There is a lot of talking with players, coaches and recruitment managers to try and put a plan into action.

"I recently met with Steve Ferres to set up a new deal for Joe Lumb. The Bulls obviously wanted to keep Joe, first and foremost.

"Then it was a case of their plans to take Joe's career forward in order for him to progress and for the club to progress.

"Bradford is obviously a full-time club and there were concerns that they wouldn't stay full-time. Steve Ferres put my mind at ease with all that.

"I've also spoken to the Bulls about getting Ethan Ryan some game-time elsewhere because he needs to play in order to progress his career."

Harrison also has Liam Kirk, James Bentley and Vila Halafihi on Elite Star's books and his agency's services extend far beyond arranging player contracts.

The 52-year-old said: "We cater for areas such as wealth management for savings and arranging car insurance, which can be difficult for a professional sportsman.

"We've got three players starting at university in September and have a great link with Leeds Beckett University, so we can get players on courses to work around their training schedules."

Harrison's family is steeped in rugby league, with his brother Paul chief executive at Batley while his son James is a promising young forward with the Bulldogs.

After meeting Rohan Smith at the Magic Weekend and again last Saturday in Blackpool, Harrison is keen to establish a working relationship with the new Bradford boss.

Having covered both days of Summer Bash as a pundit for local radio, Harrison said: "Saturday night was a fantastic game of rugby league between Bradford and Leigh.

"It was played in the right spirit with some really good contact and some well-worked tries with a great attendance.

"The top six in the Championship are good teams – but to play against the Super League clubs in the middle eights, you have to play at that standard week in and week out. Unfortunately that doesn't happen.

"If Bradford and Leigh went into the middle eights on the back of playing five or six games of that pace, intensity and ferocity, they would have a far better chance of competing with Super League sides.

"There seems to be a really good spirit in the Bulls camp at the moment and if they can sign a quality half-back, it could make all the difference."