When borrowing makes sense

Fri 27 Jun 2008

Gareth Walker is away, so Lorraine Marsden, also of League Express steps in this week and reflects on how useful a loan player can be for National League clubs.

Watching Widnes take on Salford recently, we saw just how important loan players from a higher division can be to a team. Both of Widnes' try-scorers are currently on loan at the Stobart Stadium from Super League clubs, Jason Crookes from Bradford Bulls and Steven Tyrer from St Helens. Having players who have Super League experience seems to give everyone a huge boost.

Both Tyrer's tries were set up by fellow Saints loanee Matty Smith, with his second coming straight off the Knowsley Road training field in a move Sean Long and Matt Gidley would have been proud of. Smith sent an angled kick straight to Tyrer's corner, and the centre, who only joined the Vikings on the day of the game, rose above the Reds' defence to nudge the ball forward before quickly regathering to touch down.
Chris Dean is another player on loan from Saints, and it was his initial break that set Crookes to the line to score what proved to be the winning try.
So often players coming on loan to a new club in a lower division seem to make an instant impact. But why is this? Sometimes its because they have suddenly become one of the most skilful players on the pitch because of the perceived lower standard of the players around them. But with former Super League players across the board at the Stobart Stadium, any gulf like that should not be so apparent.
Maybe it is all down to pride. No player likes to feel like they have been rejected by their club, so perhaps they put in that little bit extra to show the coach at the original club what he is missing out on.
One question that remains to be answered though is why Tyrer was even allowed to go out on loan. So far this season he has made seven appearances, scoring five tries and seven goals, which is not a bad strike record by anybody’s standards.
His main competition for the right centre role is Matt Gidley, who missed the game against Bradford the previous week through injury. Although Gidley has been in fine form this season, it only takes a split second to pick up a knock to put a player out of the remainder of a game.
If that happens to Gidley, with no Tyrer on the bench to call on, Saints could find themselves short of the speed they are renowned for.
But whatever Saints' reason in letting Tyrer spread his wings, their loss certainly seems to be Widnes’ gain – well, for the next month at least!

Gareth Walker's National League View is updated weekly during the season. For the best National League news, match reports and pictures, get League Express, on sale every Monday throughout the year.