Sheffield Eagles are the latest Championship club to announce their departing players at the end of the season, and there are some big names in the list of exits that have Super League experience.
Widnes Vikings released their retained list earlier this week, as former Super League Grand Finalist Declan Patton moved on to pastures new. Now, it is the turn of Craig Lingard’s Eagles to do the same.
Announced last week, former Hull KR and Salford centre Kris Welham will hang up his boots at the end of the season. Making his debut in 2006, Welham is one of eight players calling time on their Sheffield Eagles’ careers.
Also on the list are former St Helens winger Matty Dawson-Jones and former Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers halfback Corey Aston. Speedster Dawson-Jones joined the club from Bradford Bulls in 2023, and has scored 46 tries in 78 appearances for the club. Meanwhile, Aston is the son of long-serving Eagles coach, Mark, who left his role as head coach due to disciplinary issues at the end of last year. Son, Corey, has continued to play for the club in what is his third spell, and has made a total of 189 appearances. Aston reached second in the club’s all-time points scoring charts.
Former London Broncos duo Eddie Battye and Titus Gwaze are also set for an exit. The forward pair both leave the club with 135 and 75 appearances respectively, and have Super League experience with the Broncos after playing for them in 2021. Both Battye and Gwaze previously represented Wakefield Trinity in the top division, with Battye part of the 2023 side that were relegated to the Championship.
Evan Hodgson, Oliver Roberts and Danny Craven are the final confirmed departures. Hodgson joined the club half way through 2021, and has become a key player in the South Yorkshire setup. Making 100 appearances exactly for the club, Hodgson was part of the side that got to the final of the 1895 Cup last year, as they came runners-up to Wakefield Trinity.
Roberts came through the Bradford Bulls academy, before making the local switch to Huddersfield Giants. Making just under 100 appearances for the Claret and Gold, Roberts, 29, has played for Salford, Halifax and Newcastle before making the move to the Eagles. In 50 appearances, the back rower has scored seven tries.
Lastly, halfback Craven joined the club part way though the current season, joining from Super League hopefuls Oldham. Scoring a try on debut against his former team, the Widnes legend has made ten appearances for his new club, and departs having scored two tries.
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