Whitehaven have recruited young forward Oliver Polec on a season long loan from Betfred Super League side Leigh Leopards.
The 19-year-old signed for the Leopards on a three-year deal ahead of the current campaign having come through the scholarship and academy ranks at St Helens after playing his junior rugby at Warrington community club Woolston Rovers.
Having made his professional debut with Salford at the start of the year the forward is looking to continue his progress in the professional game with Whitehaven.
He also represented Lancashire last season in the Academy War of the Roses contest.
Interim head coach James Newton said: “Ollie comes with great recommendation from all the coaching staff at Leigh, having gained a full-time contract this year. He has been a top performer at Academy level and will really strengthen us in that middle area .
“Having spoken with Ollie this week he is really excited about coming to Whitehaven and sees a really good opportunity to test himself at Championship level. I would like to personally welcome Ollie to the club.”
The clubs has thanked members of the newly-established Haven Warriors squad builder group whose contributions have helped secure Polec for the remainder of the Betfred Championship campaign, starting with this week-end’s trip to North Wales.
They will be taking on a Crusaders side who parted company this week with head coach Dean Muir after just six league games.
Muir only joined the Crusaders in October, taking charge of the club following their promotion from League One and Carl Forster’s exit.
However, things haven’t quite gone to plan on the field with the Welsh side currently sitting 14th in the Championship with two wins from six league games.
The former Hunslet boss did make a winning start to life at North Wales, with a 110-0 win coming over Bedford Tigers in the second round of the Challenge Cup. And, he won two of the club’s opening three games in the second tier against Swinton Lions and Newcastle Thunder.
However, the Crusaders have lost their last three games, with a record breaking 106-18 loss coming against London Broncos, while further defeats have come against Batley Bulldogs and Halifax Panthers.
The Crusaders haven’t given an official reason why Muir has departed the club, with a short statement claiming a mutual agreement had been reached for the two parties to part ways. But it’s clear the club would have hoped to make a faster start to the competition.
