Sheffield coach Mark Aston tips new recruit Tyler Dickinson for big year

Drew Darbyshire
Sheffield Eagles

Sheffield coach Mark Aston has tipped off-season signing Tyler Dickinson to have a strong season in the Championship.

The 24-year-old prop has joined the Eagles on a one-year contract after spending two seasons with fellow Championship side Batley.

Dickinson came through the ranks at Huddersfield, where he went on to make 19 first team appearances before joining Batley.

Aston has praised the club’s signing of Dickinson and is backing him for a big year in 2021.

He said: “The first time I met him I was bowled over by what he wants to achieve, what he is about and the direction he wants to go in.

“People forget he is 24 years old, he’s not 30 plus. He’s got the best years in front of him.

“He’s knuckled down, he’s got his mind into the game and I think we’ll see a different Tyler Dickinson this year that people will stand up and go ‘wow, where has he come from?’ and he’s been there all along.

“Tyler Dickinson has played 20 Super League games and came out of Super League, went to Batley, didn’t have the best time there, came into our environment at 125kg and at this moment is running around at 114kg, so he’s enjoying himself. He’s put himself in good shape to be the best he can be.”

The Eagles have 29 players in their first team squad for the upcoming campaign, and Aston is pleased with the players at his disposal for 2021.

He added: “If you look at the majority of the squad, there’s a lot of players that have played a lot of Championship and Super League rugby.

“The nucleus of the squad that were kept from last year was all about experience and the blend of people that we’ve brought in is about youth which is for the longevity and the next phase of Sheffield Eagles development.

READ: Sheffield announce 2021 squad numbers

“We’ve got plenty of players in there that are mentors that can help some of these players develop. What we’ve looked at doing is getting senior guys to help us develop the junior players and it’s a mentoring role.

“I’m delighted if I’m honest, I think there’s a great blend. I think the senior guys are very good with them and they appreciate the youth and the enthusiasm that the kids bring. In training, the energy that they bring is massive”

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Championship Mark Aston