Huddersfield Giants have become loan arrangers as they bid to get valuable game time for a string of fringe players.
As hooker George Roby returns from League 1 North Wales Crusaders to rejoin the Giants’ Academy ranks, head coach Ian Watson has agreed initial two-week stints at Championship clubs for six first-team squad members.
Jamaica international and former Leeds fullback Ash Golding, who is returning from a shoulder operation, and prop Oliver Wilson have joined Bradford, who host Newcastle in a rearranged league game on Sunday, while halfback Oliver Russell is at Halifax, who already have forward Sam Hewitt on a season-long arrangement.
Louis Senior, whose twin Innes is on a season-long deal at Wakefield, has gone to Oldham, while fellow back Sam Wood has joined Dewsbury, who have already had his Huddersfield teammate, prop Jon Luke Kirby, at the Tetley’s Stadium this year.
Meanwhile Ireland international prop Ronan Michael, fresh from a spell at Whitehaven, has now made a temporary move to Swinton, who head to York in the semi-finals of the 1895 Cup on Sunday.
Golding, 24, is the most experienced of the six, having played 65 times for Leeds and made eleven appearances for Huddersfield last season. He has had two previous loan spells, from Leeds to Featherstone in 2016 and 2019.
With the Reserve Championship put on hold this year, the RFL have shortened the minimum length of a loan from 28 to 24 days, and they have become increasingly common.
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