Tyrone McCarthy returns to Warrington, arise Sir Kev & positive rugby league

Drew Darbyshire
Tyrone McCarthy

Tyrone McCarthy played for Leigh last season

Tyrone McCarthy returns to Warrington

Recently retired Ireland international Tyrone McCarthy has returned to hometown club Warrington.

The 32-year-old has taken up the role of assistant academy and lead scholarship coach. McCarthy made 43 appearances for Warrington between 2009-13 before going on to play for Northern Pride, Hull KR, St George Illawarra Dragons, Salford and Leigh.

On his return to Warrington, McCarthy said: “I’m really excited about what the club want to achieve. We’ve got a really talented bunch of academy lads and we want to develop them in the right way and create good people. The ultimate aim is for them to reach the top and play for the first team. For me I want to imprint on them what it means to represent the town.”

COMMUNITY: Tyrone McCarthy makes rugby league return with coaching role at Woolston

Positive rugby league

There has been a pretty unanimous positive response to the fact that Super League will be shown live on free-to-air TV for the first time in 2022.

Channel 4 will show 10 matches a year, starting with Leeds’ opening clash with Warrington on February 12. The other nine games will be spread across the season.

There will be at least 186 matches on TV next year, as per journalist Matt Shaw. Hopefully rugby league is in for a strong year in 2022.

Hull KR recruitment update

Hull KR coach Tony Smith has provided an update on the club’s recruitment (Hull Daily Mail)

The Robins have made six signings so far ahead of next season. Smith told Hull Daily Mail: “We’ll probably be running into the season with the squad we’ve got now but are we still looking? Yes. It’d have to be something that helps us and strengthens us. That is still a possibility.”

Joey Leilua excited for UK switch

Championship side Featherstone have pulled off a major signing in the shape of Samoa powerhouse Joey Leilua.

Leilua said: “I want to go ahead and prove myself in the UK, and show the other side of the world I am not the type of person everyone thinks I am. I’m going to bring aggression, that’s a standard for me, but controlled aggression. But also I want to bring some excitement. I wanted to test myself in that league, so it will be exciting.”

ROVERS: New signing Joey Leilua “excited” to test himself at Featherstone

Oliver Gildart in his new colours

It is going to take some getting used to see Oliver Gildart in colours other than cherry and white! Good luck to him in the NRL with Wests Tigers. Let’s hope he has an impressive season Down Under ahead of the World Cup.

Arise Sir Kevin

Is it time to knight Kevin Sinfield? Everyone seems to think so after his latest heroic efforts.

The former England rugby league international has run 101 miles in 24 hours in support of his good friend Rob Burrow. His latest fundraising challenge has passed the £1.5million mark. There aren’t enough words to describe Sinfield. He is just superhuman.

 

Birthdays

England and Wigan legend Sean O’Loughlin turns 39 today (November 24).

Also celebrating; former England international Richard Russell (54), ex-Salford forward Lokeni Savelio (52), former Catalans winger Michael Oldfield (31) and free agent Olly Ashall-Bott (24).

Trivia

Sean O’Loughlin was named in the Super League Dream Team seven times during his stellar career (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018).

READ MORE: 13 wholesome pictures of Kevin Sinfield completing run for Rob Burrow