York City Knights, who visit Whitehaven tonight in the Betfred Championship have agreed a deal for exciting young hooker George Roby.
The 21-year-old Huddersfield Giants number nine played two games on loan with Haven last season but they won’t have to face him tonight.
York have completed a deal whereby Roby will link up with the Championship club next season at the end of his deal with the Giants.
Roby joined Huddersfield after a spell in the Warrington Academy but hasn’t made an appearance for the club, spending time on loan in the lower leagues.
He was named League One’s young player of the year in 2022 after helping Swinton Lions to promotion and he is currently back with the club on a season-long loan.
Roby played 12 times for Swinton last season after originally playing twice for injury-hit Whitehaven.
He scored 10 tries in his 12 appearances for the Lions which saw him earn the individual accolade and he has amassed further experience this year.
He made five appearances for Bradford Bulls earlier in the year and has played six times for the Lions in recent weeks.
York have endured a bitterly difficult season with a horrendous injury crisis seeing them fall down the table. The Knights, who will battle it out with Batley for a place in the 1895 Cup Final at Wembley next month, and in the midst of a relegation battle.
Andrew Henderson’s side are twelfth in the Championship and are only out of the relegation zone due to a superior points difference than, coincidentally, Roby’s current club, Swinton.
York have put up defiant displays against Leigh Leopards and Featherstone Rovers in the last two weeks but have lost their last five games so tonight’s game at Whitehaven is a crucial one.
Whitehaven produced a stunning performance to win at York earlier in the season and ahead of Sunday’s defeat at Keighley had produced two excellent efforts to win at Sheffield and beat Widnes at home.
York put up a gutsy show in a 24-8 home defeat to Featherstone on Sunday but both they and Haven suffered knocks within the starting line-up and team selections will be delayed.
