Former St Helens and Leigh star seals cross-Championship switch ahead of 2026

Former Super League ace Matty Dawson-Jones has joined Hunslet from fellow Championship outfit Sheffield Eagles ahead of 2026.

Now 35, Dawson-Jones has 249 career appearances on his CV having made his first-team bow for Huddersfield Giants against Warrington back in September 2012.

The Giants were one of four clubs he represented in Super League having also gone on to don a shirt for St Helens, Leigh and Hull FC in the top-flight – scoring a try in his only game for the Airlie Birds in a 2019 derby clash against Hull KR.

Forming part of the Saints squad as they clinched the Super League title in 2014, the winger has already scored over 120 tries in his career.

And come 2026, the show will go on for him at Hunslet: who will become the ninth different club he has represented.

Former St Helens and Leigh star seals cross-Championship switch ahead of 2026

Dawson-Jones joins the Parksiders after three seasons in the second tier with Sheffield, who he featured under the Wembley arch for in the 1895 Cup final last year, beaten on the day by Wakefield Trinity.

As his move to Hunslet was announced, the veteran said: “I am really happy to have signed for the club for the upcoming 2026 season and I can’t wait to get started.

“I am going into an environment that’s going through big changes and I am excited to be part of that.

“It’s a young staff with some fresh ideas and lots of hunger and energy for the game and I’m hoping that with my experience i can help as much as I can on and off the field.”

Aside from the clubs already mentioned, Dawson-Jones has games on his CV for Doncaster, Rochdale Hornets and Bradford Bulls.

He joins a Hunslet side which finished bottom of the Championship in 2025.

Next year, they will compete in a 21-team division as the second tier merges with League 1. Full details of that merger, including the name of the newly-formed bumper competition, are still to be confirmed by the RFL.

Parksiders head coach Kyle Trout added: “Matty is a great acquisition for us as a club. He is a quality player with a lot of experience at the highest level of the game.

“We look forward to seeing him bring his own touches to our environment and showcasing his capabilities on the field.”