Championship side Oldham have signed former Salford Red Devils youngster Sam Littler ahead of the 2026 season.
Littler was a member of Salford’s reserves and academy set up last season but never quite made it into the first team at the Salford Community Stadium.
He’ll have the chance to work with Oldham’s senior side in 2026 though after penning a one-year deal with the second tier side.
The 18-year-old did spend a period of time training with the Roughyeds last season and he’ll be striving to kick on in the Championship this time around as he bids to carve out a career for himself across Greater Manchester.
“I’m buzzing to have the opportunity to join this great club and I can’t wait to get started,” Littler told Oldham’s official site.
“This is a club really on the up and I can’t wait to rip into it. I’d like to thank Mike (Ford), the chairman Bill Quinn and John Chadwick for getting this deal over the line.
“I was with Salford academy and reserves last season and got the opportunity to train with the first team. You train and play with some high-level players there.
“Here I think I can learn loads – you only need to look at the experience of this team and the players who have been at the top level for a very long time. In just the few sessions I have done already I have been learning straight away and it is really good to be a part of that.
“Speaking to Mike [Ford], the chairman and the lads the only way this club is going is up. We are striving for Super League and that is a great thing to be a part of.”
Director of rugby Ford added: “Sam is a talented and hard-working young forward who has already shown a great attitude during his time training with Oldham.
“This is another development opportunity as we look to bring through young local talent, and we saw with Marcus Geener last year what can be achieved through hard work in this first-team environment. We are looking forward to seeing Sam develop as a player.”
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