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Aston - New Signings Impressing

10/12/2019

Eagles chief Mark Aston has been delighted with the way his new signings have hit the ground running during a tough pre-season.

Going through the schedule Strength and Conditioning coach Simon Vardy has been leading, Aston has picked out Robbie Ward and Zack McComb as two of the shining lights from the new crop.

As the new year slowly approaches, Aston also highlighted the squad’s togetherness and how they’re developing so soon after getting back together ahead of the 2020 campaign.

“They are working really hard and training well,” he said.

"The enthusiasm, commitment and togetherness that we’re looking for is all there so I am really pleased with them at the moment.

“We’re five or six weeks into it and they’re looking strong and fit. Simon (Vardy, S+C coach) has done a good job with them.

“Pre-season is important and it’s money in the bank.

“We talked about Oliver Davies this time last year.

“He had an outstanding pre-season, took it into the start of the season and had a great year.

“That was down to what he did in pre-season.

“You look at Robbie Ward who has come in to give competition to James Davey and Greg Burns.

"He is killing it and is a champion kid. He’s 24-years-old, he’s winning most things in the conditioning and he puts himself out there when we’re defending.

“When you know you’re coming into an environment like this, you know you’ve got to impress and the seven blokes that have come in have done that.

“Certainly Ward and McComb have been the standouts in the conditioning.”

The Eagles have one pre-season game scheduled so far as they take on fellow South Yorkshire outfit Doncaster in the South Yorkshire Cup.

Aston is happy with his side having some January game time and he is looking to get another friendly in the schedule, alongside a competitive training session with Castleford Tigers - something the Eagles benefited from last year.

“I’d like to have another session with Castleford and another friendly,” he confirmed.

“We got a lot of confidence out of that last year, with it being a new squad.

“There’s a bit of continuity now with the players, your Browns, Farrells, Daveys, Thackerays all know what I want so they will help the others settle in.

“I don’t see there being too much of a problem but we would ideally like to squeeze another friendly in as well as that session with Castleford a week before the season starts.”

By Dan Fowler