OLI LEYLAND has the “cockiness” required to make the grade at Warrington, according to his team-mate Danny Walker.
The halfback is one of only three off-season additions made by the Wolves, alongside Australian backrower Dan Russell and a rugby-union convert in back Alfie Johnson.
A key figure in London’s promotion from the Championship in 2023, Leyland was then a hit in his first top-flight season as an ever-present for the bottom-placed side.
Leyland’s performances earned him a two-year deal at Warrington and England hooker Walker has seen enough to believe the 23-year-old, who hails from Maidstone in Kent, can become a star for the Wire.
“He’s an impressive little player. He’s got a bit of everything in him,” said Walker.
“He’s probably got that cockiness that you need to be a good halfback, which I like. He’s got that fight and that determination to win.
“It’ll be interesting to see how he goes. No disrespect to London, but he was in a team last year that found it tough most games.
“Hopefully with us it won’t be like that and he will be in a team on the front foot rather than the back foot in most games.
“He’s got a brilliant kicking game, so it’s exciting to see him and George (Williams) starting the year,” although Leyland was missing for Sunday’s clash against Huddersfield Giants.
Warrington’s goals this season are obvious after losing the Challenge Cup final and falling at the play-off semi-final stage in Super League last year, Burgess’ first as coach.
They are third-favourites to win the competition but Walker is not getting ahead of himself.
“If you look at it on the ladder, it does look like one step, but as a group it feels like an age away to a Grand Final,” he said.
“It’s a target of ours of course, we want to get there and win things, but that’s what the club is always after.
“We’re really hungry for it. I certainly believe we’ve got the team to do something special this year.
“There are plenty of other good teams in the league though, so it’s going to be very competitive.”