NORTH WALES CRUSADERS halfback Jamie Dallimore has heaped praise on teammate Toby Hughes – despite the fact he’s been keeping the youngster out of the team.
At 36, Dallimore has enjoyed a new lease of life after rejoining the Colwyn Bay club, currently top of the table, following a drugs ban, and is determined to make up for lost time.
The former Barrow player said: “I started my pre-season early – probably last July – because I wanted to get up to speed and put some miles in the legs.
“I was excited when I joined the club, and probably a little scared of letting myself down too. I’d had three years out of the game, but the fire was still burning.
“I didn’t know at what capacity I could return and our pre-season was cut short, so I was thrown straight into the deep end. In hindsight, it was the best thing that could’ve happened to me.”
Dallimore has featured regularly this season, keeping 21-year-old Hughes – a mainstay of the line-up last year – out of the team.
Hughes is in his third season at North Wales having previously featured for Newton Storm (from Newton-le-Willows, near St Helens) and England Community Lions.
Dallimore added: “His attitude for a young kid trying to find his way in the game has been second-to-none. I can’t sing his praises enough.
“He never misses training, never moans, and he’s taken his opportunities really well when they’ve come.
“He’s an old head on young shoulders, especially for a halfback. He knows he’s good enough and has that swagger.
“If you’ve got the work ethic and attitude, you’ll go far. He’s got the skills to back it up – picking a pass and kicking the ball into dangerous areas.
“The challenge for him now is to sharpen those tools, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he got the opportunity to go higher up into the Championship at a later stage in his career.”