HUNSLET coach Kyle Trout believes the Leeds club have a diamond in Billy Jowitt.
And the coach is ready to add some polish to his skipper, even if it means losing him to a higher-ranked side at some stage.
The 24-year-old, who has played fullback, centre, halfback and hooker over his career to date, is the son of former forward Warren Jowitt, who started at Hunslet before going on to play in Super League for Bradford, Wakefield, Salford and Hull FC.
And Trout reckons Billy, signed from Bradford after coming through the development ranks there, can follow a similar path to his father.
The team chief is keen to further hone his skills, particularly at fullback, in his second season at the club.
Fears that Jowitt, who partly because of injuries was restricted to only 26 appearances over three seasons at Bradford, may miss the opening stages of this campaign after taking a blow to the face during training have been allayed.
The damage wasn’t as bad as feared, giving the player a boost as he tries to build on playing in all 27 of Hunslet’s games in 2025, scoring eleven tries and kicking 27 goals.
“After his previous injuries, getting regular matches was important,” explained Trout.
“It let him settle down, get a bit of confidence and develop as a player, and we saw the result.
“Now it’s about carrying that on, and I know Billy will do because he has a great attitude to go with a great skill set.
“He’s got that bit of fieriness like his dad, which a lot of pivotal players have and which can be useful in our game, and he’s added a bit of composure.
“There’s plenty more work to do, but I have no doubt he is capable of playing at a high level.”