Former Workington Town coach Leon Pryce has been appointed a member of the Rugby Football League’s match review panel.
It’s a welcome involvement for the 39-year-old Pryce who was capped 17 times for Great Britain.
Most of his time now at rugby league is spent watching his 18-year-old son Will making a promising start to his professional career with Huddersfield.
Pryce is delighted to be working within the game again and has told LoveRugbyLeague.com: “I was approached by the RFL, who wanted me to give a bit of experience from my career. It was nice to be asked.”
The former Bradford, St Helens, Catalans and Hull stand-off retired in 2017 and between 2018 and 2019 was in charge of Workington Town for 40 matches.
More recently he did some work for French club Montpellier and is now working full-time in a residential care home.
Pryce’s contribution might only mean a few hours scrutinising potential foul play from the latest round of matches on a Monday morning but the RFL are keen to keep their stars involved in the sport.
Pryce admits that link is important as he went through a low point in his life after hanging up his boots.
He turned to alcohol after initially finding it difficult to adjust to life without rugby league and used Sporting Chance to help get his life back in order.
He said: “I received lot of help from RL Cares. It’s that transitional period, being out of the game and just finding yourself again because it’s not easy.
“Once you have been in an industry for 22 years from being a boy, you have to find your way again.
“I’m working full-time looking after children. I enjoy it. It’s good helping children that have been dealt a bad hand get back on the right path in life.”
“I’m enjoying life again. I’ve no aspirations to go back to coaching, I’m quite content to watch my son play.”
While his son Will is looking a star of the future at rugby league with Huddersfield his daughter Lilly, 15, is playing football at England level.
As a rugby league man Pryce is excited by his son’s potential, although he is keen not to put pressure on his young shoulders.
“It’s been brilliant, really exciting, not just for me, but for his whole family, his nana and granddad and aunties and uncles, his brother and sister,” he said. “He’s got a big family who go watch him.
“Obviously our family life has always revolved around rugby.
“I will always give him tips. We talk about rugby every day because that’s pretty much been our life since he was born. He’s got a very good coach but we always have our chats.
“I’ll let him do his talking on the field. My bit of advice is to just to keep his head down and keep working hard, the rest will take care of itself. I don’t want to add any more pressure to him.
“People will always make comparisons and have expectations but I’ve always told him to be his own man, to go his own way and learn from my mistakes.
“I don’t need to live my life through him, I just want him to enjoy it.”
