Following the addition of two new front rowers to Warrington Wolves, boss Sam Burgess has explained why the pair will be a good fit for the club.
NRL reserve-grade pair, Toby Crosby of Penrith and Mitchell Prest of Mackay Cutters, will arrive at the Halliwell Jones Stadium ahead of next season and will add some significant size to the Wolves’ middle unit.
Neither has made an NRL appearance to date, but have been regulars for their respective sides in the past few seasons.
In his pre-match press ahead of Warrington’s home clash against York Knights on Thursday, Burgess revealed why the club opted to sign both players, despite neither of them having any top-flight experience.
He said: “They’re both young, ambitious front rowers. Gary (Chambers, Director of Rugby) has done a lot of extensive work on their game, having a look with them. Both have got great attitudes, and that’s what we’ve probably invested in.”
“I think Josh Smith’s a great example [of players coming over from reserve grade], and a number of players that come over here and get an opportunity come from that league.
“Super League’s a great competition. It’s a great challenge. Those boys will certainly have a hard bit of work in front of them, but they’re up for the challenge.”
With the confirmed departure of Joe Philbin at the end of the season, and a number of forwards still off-contract, Burgess and the club want to make sure they have enough forwards to get through a full season without needing to worry, should injuries arise.
“It’s just bolstering,” he added. “We’re losing a couple of guys through the middle, so just added some numbers in there.
“We’ve got a couple of guys in the juniors too that we love, but in my short time as a coach, in the three years of it, that tells me that you need 10, 11 middle players to get you through a season, otherwise you fall short.
“We’re just making sure we’ve got the right spot balance in positions, and these boys will answer that.”
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