Whitehaven Rugby League have made a double swoop to recruit two forwards from Championship rivals Newcastle Thunder.
One of them is Cockermouth-based Liam McAvoy while the other is a highly promising pack-mate Kieran Hudson, the grandson of Leeds and Great Britain legend John Holmes.
Instrumental in these signings once again has been director Ashley Kilpatrick, who admitted the club had been chasing McAvoy for a few years.
He said: “To have finally got him over the line is fantastic, especially knowing his signature was in demand. Liam is an 80-minute middle who is not only tough and aggressive but also smart with the ball as well. He will bring a lot to our pack especially with Shacks retiring.
“With Kieran we have seen what he can do when he played against us last year, especially Gregg McNally, who is still feeling the effects of that big shot he suffered from him.
“He also comes highly recommended by Liam, who has trained and played alongside him for a couple of years now. Kieran is a big lump of a lad who carries strong and is good in defence. He is only young, and we believe he will blossom at the LEL Arena.”
With Newcastle going full-time next season both players became available and the Whitehaven club wasted no time in trying to secure their signatures.
Like Kilpatrick, head coach Jonty Gorley was particularly pleased with the capture of McAvoy.
He said: “I’ve tried to get Liam here since I came to Whitehaven in 2018. That’s how much I rate him. Every team needs a Liam McAvoy because as a front rower or a middle he is what it says on the tin.
“He does a lot of work, has a good engine on him with a bit of skill, as well as carrying well. He has a bit of grunt which we have lacked at times and I’m hoping he’s going to be at the front of everything that we do with our middles. It’s great to have him on board.
“Kieran is a young lad who started playing his rugby on the wing and is now a front rower. He’ll have a bit of pace about him and he’s 6ft 4in and a bit of weight about him. Liam has told us about him, about what he can do, and I’ve seen his clips.
“He played against us last season and at Batley and if you can go to those places and hold your own as a kid it shows you’ve got something. He has loads of potential and hopefully we’ll get to see more of that.”
A mechanical design engineer in the nuclear industry the 28-year-old spent seven months last year working and playing in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia before rejoining Thunder on his return.
He had first signed semi-professional with Workington Town in 2013 and was a popular member of the Derwent Park squad before leaving for Newcastle in 2017.
After signing, he said: “I’m really happy to be joining Whitehaven to be honest, seeing how well they’ve done this year and are going in the right direction.
“I think with Jonty taking over as head coach and Charlo still being involved it’s a really good spot to be, especially as I know most of the lads as well. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in.”
Hudson, 21, said: “Seeing how well Whitehaven have done this last year made me want to come and try it out. It’s a new beginning for me and I’m really excited.
“It’s a fresh start with a different team something I haven’t done before. I’m excited and can’t wait to get started.”
