Warrington’s Riley Dean joins York on loan as Morgan Smith suffers season-ending injury

Drew Darbyshire

York have signed young half-back Riley Dean on a season-long loan from Warrington.

The 19-year-old has made two appearances for Warrington since making his first team debut in 2019. He was called up to the Ireland squad last year.

York coach James Ford said: “Riley has shown plenty of promise as a young half at Warrington, origin academies and with England academy. He has a good skill set, a strong running game and I’m looking forwards to working with him.”

The City Knights have received an injury blow though as off-season recruit Morgan Smith has suffered a ruptured ACL and will be ruled out for the 2021 season.

Ford added: “It’s a really disappointing and frustrating thing to pick up a season-ending injury, especially in a training accident.

“Morgan has a great support network around him and, coupled with the club’s support and his drive to succeed, I’m still very confident that Morgan can fulfil his ambitions in the game.

“Being injured is never nice, but it’s part of being a professional athlete. Morgan has a great opportunity to demonstrate how resilient he is with how he engages with his rehab and strives to help the team succeed.”

Rugby League Nostalgia is here! Get involved with Love Rugby League’s new group on Facebook to share all your rugby league nostalgia and celebrate the rich heritage of our sport.