Former Keighley Cougars and Bradford Bulls prop Dalton Desmond-Walker has been on trial with Leigh Leopards recently.
The big and powerful prop has played two trial matches for the Leopards in pre-season in November and December as the Challenge Cup holders prepare for the new season. The prop revealed this on Instagram.
This begs the question: could he be added to Leigh’s squad on a fulltime basis? It would make a lot of sense to add a bit of size to the squad and further depth however he is unlikely to sign for the Leopards as he would likely take up a quota spot and this would be counter productive with Tristan Sailor set to join the club.
The prop really made his name left West Wales Raiders to join Keighley Cougars. Desmond-Walker became a hit with their supporters with his combination of aggression and no-nonsense attitude on the pitch, and his zest for life off it.
A big character and personality within the dressing room, the prop forward quickly cemented himself amongst the Keighley fan favourites.
He made his debut with an outstanding performance in the Challenge Cup against Newcastle Thunder.
However, his time at Keighley was then hit by turbulence as Dalton had his 2020 season ended earlier than his teammates as a result of a broken hand sustained in the loss to Workington shortly before lockdown.
He would later leave Keighley to join Bradford Bulls but the prop would leave the club before playing a game to return to Australia.
He is a player that is well thought of by many including former Hull KR star Rhys Lovegrove who said when he gave the prop a new deal at Keighley in 2021: “When I was planning the recruitment and retention for next season’s squad, Dalton was the easiest decision to make.
“Since we brought Dalton into the club last year, he has jumped in headfirst and really understood since day one what we’re all about here at the Keighley Cougars.
“He is a really honest and hardworking front rower, and I’m really excited to continue working with Dalton over the next two years.”
