T’Other Side: Sheffield Eagles

T’Other Side: Sheffield Eagles

2019 Matches

FIRST TEAM SQUAD

LAST TIME OUT

Head Coach: Mark Aston

Amazingly, this is Mark Aston’s 19th season as head coach of Sheffield Eagles! He started the re-born club in 2000 and is still the coach, although he stood down and was only Chief Executive in 2006 but then took over the coaching again in 2007. When you add in his playing career he has been at Sheffield ever since 1985 with just one break for a little over a year when he was at Featherstone. A dynamic scrumhalf as a player he won the Lance Todd Trophy in 1998 when he led Eagles to that amazing win over Wigan at Wembley. He also played five times for Great Britain. Mark Aston was the head coach of the Ireland international team from 2011 to 2018.

Captain: Matt James

Matt James is now in his third year as the Sheffield Eagles captain. He can play at second row or nowadays, more usually, at prop. Matt is a Welsh international although back in 2005 he played in the England U18 side. His club career started with Bradford Bulls and included spells with Barrow Raiders, Halifax and Harlequins RL before joining Featherstone in 2013. After 3 years at Rovers he moved to Sheffield. Matt has been out of the team recently because of injury.

At the back

Ben Blackmore, wing, began his career with one solitary appearance for Castleford in 2012. He spent 2013 and 2014 at Huddersfield for whom he played just 3 games but scored 4 tries. While he was there he played for Doncaster (2013, loan) and Batley (2013 and 2014, dual reg).In June 2014 he transferred to Fev and then joined Sheffield for 2016.

Fiery and much-travelled centre or wing, Jason Crookes, started out at Bradford Bulls but he made his first grade début on loan for Widnes in 2008. In 2011 he played for the first time with Sheffield, on loan from Bradford. In 2013 he joined Hull FC and also played for York on dual reg. and in his 2nd year at Hull played one game on dual reg. for Doncaster. In 2014 he played for Fev on loan making 15 appearances and scoring 14 tries. In 2015 he joined Dewsbury and then went on loan to Batley in 2017 and stayed there for last year. During the 2016 season he was sin-binned 5 times. He joined Sheffield this year.

Talented fullback, Josh Guzdek, started at Hull Kingston Rovers in 2013, and played on loan and dual reg with Coventry, Keighley and Newcastle before joining Dewsbury in 2016 and moved to Sheffield at the beginning of this year.

Ryan Millar, wing or fullback, came through the academy system at Sheffield who are his only club. He made his début in 2015. Unusually for a part-time rugby league player he works as an architect. Ryan was born in Germany.

In the halves

Experienced halfback, Anthony Thackeray, joined Sheffield this year from Fev. His career began with Hull FC in 2007. During that year he had loan spells with York and Castleford, joining Castleford in 2008 and while at Cas he played 6 matches at loan for Fev. In 2009 he moved to Widnes and in 2011 he went again on loan to York. He then spent two years each at Halifax and Dewsbury before signing for Fev in 2016. He is currently Sheffield’s leading try scorer with 15 tries in 16 matches.

Sheffield’s main goal-kicker this year is Pat Walker, one of four players to have joined them from Batley this year. He is in his second spell at Sheffield having played for them from 2013 to 2015. He is a stand-off who also plays loose forward. He started with Dewsbury in 2007 and remained there until 2012. He joined Batley in 2016

At hooker

Greg Burns came through the Eagles academy and made his first team début in 2015 as a substitute. Last season he played 25 games for them.

James Davey, has returned this year for his second spell with Sheffield having played for them from 2013 to 2015 as well as on dual reg in 2012. He began with Wakefield in 2009. In 2012 he also played on dual for Keighley. He joined Batley in 2016.

In the pack

Aaron Brown signed for Dewsbury in 2013 from the Leeds Rhinos Academy and stayed with the Rams until moving to Sheffield this year. He plays mainly at loose forward although he can also play at stand-off.

Joel Farrell, a Jamaican international second rower, began with Dewsbury in 2014 and moved to Batley in 2017. In 2014 he played on loan for Gateshead Thunder.

Brad Knowles, prop, joined Sheffield this season from Fev for whom he played from 2015 to 2018. While he was at Fev he played at second row or loose forward but has moved to prop at Sheffield.

Pat Moran has been a regular starter at prop in recent games since joining Sheffield on loan from Warrington in April. His professional début came on dual reg for Rochdale in 2017. Last year he also played for Rochdale on dual reg as well as making his début for Warrington.

Dual Registration and Loans

Sheffield Eagles have a dual registration agreement with London Broncos. So far this year 6 Broncos players have played for Sheffield. They are Sadiq Adebiyi (loose forward), Ben Hellewell (centre), Dan Hindmarsh (second row or loose forward), Nathan Mason (prop), James Meadows (stand-off) and Jacob Ogden (centre).

Pat Moran (see above) is on loan from Warrington. Rory Dixon is out on loan with Hunslet and Menzie Yere is on loan with Doncaster.

The Fev Connection

Three current Fev players have played for Sheffield. Dane Chisholm joined Sheffield in 2017 but moved to Bradford in April. John Davies was there in 2015 when he had some hair(!) and Scott Wheeldon was a Sheffield player in 2016 and 2017.

In the 2019 Sheffield squad are 6 players who have played for Fev. They are Ben Blackmore (2014 to 2015), Jason Crookes (2014), Matt James (2013 to 2015), Brad Knowles (2015 to 2018), Shaun Pick (2014) and Anthony Thackeray (2008, on loan, and 2016 to 2018).