JUST three friendlies have taken place so far since Christmas, with Batley Bulldogs taking on Dewsbury Rams, Leeds Rhinos hosting Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers travelling to local rivals Featherstone Rovers.
Batley narrowly beat Dewsbury whilst Wakefield hammered Leeds and Featherstone overcame a youthful Tigers, but who stood out from those games?
Jack Broadbent – Castleford Tigers
Was named in the halves by assistant coach Andy Last and boy did he excel. Having moved from the Leeds Rhinos, Jack Broadbent carved Rovers up on more than one occasion, with his superb try evidence of agility and speed after breaking from halfway.
Riley Dean – Featherstone Rovers
Riley Dean has been brought in by Featherstone boss Sean Long to get Rovers around the park and he thoroughly excelled in his side’s win over Castleford on New Years’ Eve. Displaying a maturity beyond his youthful years, the Warrington Wolves loanee looks to be an excellent catch.
Renouf Atoni – Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield fans were nervous about how they would replace the likes of David Fifita and Tinirau Arona, but with NRL recruit Renouf Atoni they look to have poached a star. Taking some bulldozing runs up the middle, Atoni scored a superb solo try against Leeds to excite Trinity fans.
Tom Holroyd – Leeds Rhinos
Welcome back Tom Holroyd! It was a difficult year for the barnstorming prop in 2022 following injury and a ten-match suspension, but the youngster made an impact on his return against Wakefield on Boxing Day. Holroyd almost looked like a new signing for the Rhinos which could be vital going forward into the 2023 season.
James Meadows – Batley Bulldogs
With Tom Gilmore and Luke Hooley leaving Batley, Craig Lingard needed other playmakers to step up ahead of the new season. And James Meadows certainly did that with some excellent touches in horrendous conditions against Dewsbury.
