Jamaica international Aaron Jones-Bishop re-signs with Hunslet
Hunslet have confirmed that international winger Aaron Jones-Bishop has re-signed with the club for the 2022 League 1 season.
The 31-year-old joined the club ahead of the 2021 season.
Aaron Jones-Bishop on new deal
“We’ve been making some good signings,” he said. “I was delighted when experienced players such a Wayne Reittie, Jimmy Watson and Duane Straugheir announced they were remaining at the South Leeds Stadium.
“As a senior player myself – I’ll be 32 in January – I’m looking forward to helping point the younger lads in the right direction in addition to repaying the faith Hunslet showed in me.
“My hope this year is that we go one better than we did last season when we started slowly but still hit the play-offs.
“If we’d done better in the early weeks of the campaign we may well have finished top of the league and been promoted automatically. As it was we finished sixth, but the fact that we won comfortably at Workington in our last league game illustrates what might have been.
“So we need to start strongly next year. We’ll benefit from a full pre-season, with lots of young lads on board. I’m sure we’ll rebuild the strong team spirit we had last year.”
Rugby League World Cup year
“I’ll also have a personal eye on the World Cup and on impressing the Jamaica selectors,” Jones-Bishop added.
“But first and foremost I need to focus on the job in hand with Hunslet. If I do the little things right for the Parksiders, on and off the field, the bigger picture can take care of itself.”
Alan Kilshaw on new deal
On the new deal, head coach Alan Kilshaw added: “We have unfinished business with AJB. He worked hard to earn the right for an opportunity at the back end of last season. And for well documented reasons he couldn’t progress.
“I feel with a good pre-season under his belt he could be a key member of our backline. He can cover centre, wing and full-back. He knows that a big season for us will enhance his World Cup opportunities.
“He’s hungry for a good campaign and that’s the type of trait we want in the squad next year.”
Elsewhere in rugby league
Barrow have confirmed that captain Jarrad Stack has signed a new two-year deal with the club.