Hull Kingston Rovers have secured the services of promising Wigan Warriors forward Greg Burke on a season long loan for the 2015 campaign.
A ball playing lock, the former England Academy international is highly rated at the DW Stadium and will now look to take the next step in his career as the Robins’ eleventh new signing for Super League XX.
Standing at 6ft 1in and weighing 110kg, the 21-year-old is also able to play in the back row and at prop and he told www.hullkr.co.uk he’s excited about testing himself in Chris Chester’s new-look squad next season.
“Chris has given me an opportunity to try to cement a place in the team and that’s my plan for the year. I can play anywhere in the pack but my preferred position is at loose forward and hopefully I can nail down that spot,” he said.
“I’m not shy of playing with the ball and when I’ve spoken to Chris he’s said not to be scared to do that. It’s something that we pride ourselves on at Wigan and hopefully I can bring that to Hull KR as well.
“From a Wigan point of view, Sean O’Loughlin is somebody that I look up to and I’d like to emulate him and his style of play if I can, and it will also be great to link up with Darrell Goulding again at Rovers.
“Darrell is easy to get along with and he’s somebody you can chat to if you need any help, so it will be good to have him around in the first few weeks while I bed in and get to know people.
“With the signings that have been made for next year, there’ll be competition for places and that leads to success within the team. Hopefully that can happen and we can have a good year.”
A former Ince Rose Bridge amateur and a product of Wigan’s academy system, Burke was tied down to a long-term contract with the Warriors after a breakthrough year in 2013 that saw him rack up 17 first team appearances.
Playing a further seven Super League matches for the Cherry and Whites last season, Burke also appeared on loan with the Bradford Bulls in 2014 and will now link up with his new Rovers teammates for pre-season training in the near future.
Hull KR head coach Chris Chester added: “I’d like to thank Shaun Wane, Kris Radlinski and the Wigan club for agreeing to this loan and hopefully it will be a deal that suits all parties.
“Greg is a fantastic addition to our squad for next season and we’re excited to have him on board. He is a ball playing lock forward with plenty of skill but he’s aggressive with it.
“With us losing Neville Costigan, Greg will be a perfect replacement for him and I’m sure he will fit right into our system. He likes to get his hands on the ball but he’s got a strong work rate too and he’ll be a good asset to the team.”
