Wildcats reward youngsters

Wakefield Wildcats have rewarded seven of their most promising Academy youngsters with full-time contracts for the next two seasons.

17-year old Danny Cowling; 19 year old James Davey; and 18-year olds Dale Morton, Russ Spiers, Matt Wildie, Kyle Trout and Matt King will all begin life as professional rugby league players next season after excelling in the Wildcats Academy and Reserve Grades.

Davey and Morton have both made Super League appearances this season, with winger Morton scoring on his full debut in the 40-28 win over Warrington Wolves last week.

And the seven will now join the club’s professional ranks alongside fellow Academy player Cain Southernwood who has been a full-time member of the first team squad in 2009.

Wildcats Head Coach John Kear was happy to secure the signatures of the highly promising local youngsters.

“We are delighted that the seven of them have agreed to join us at the Wildcats as squad members for Super League XV,” said Kear.

“It is an indication of the direction the club has taken over the last three years whereby we have employed home grown talent and local players.”

“It’s a tribute to our talent identification, recruitment and player development systems and structures we have in place at the club.”

“These structures have helped a talented group come top of the Academy league table and excel in a very exciting team, and we are happy that a large group of them will be first team squad members next season,” Kear added.

The seven players follow in the footsteps of other notable Wakefield Academy products including Danny Brough and Dale Ferguson.

Their signings go alongside those of Terry Newton, Shane Tronc and Glenn Morrison as the Wildcats make preparations for engage Super League XV.