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Stronger Lions

2/10/2008

SWINTON coach Paul Kidd is on the verge of completing several new signings and he insists that the Lions will be ‘much stronger next season’.

He said: "Since our disappointing 2008 campaign came to a close, negotiations with transfer targets have gone really well and I am now at the stage where I will have up to 10 new players signed and sealed in the next few days.

"I am very excited by the overall standard of the players that I will be bringing in to complement the 10 players that are already signed up for next season.

"I don’t want to reveal players’ names until their signings have been 100 per cent completed. But what I will say is that I am very confident that we will have a much stronger squad next season."

To make room for the new arrivals, Kidd has cut several players from his 2008 squad. They are prop forwards Rob Ball and Rick Jones, prop or second rower Matty Briers, centre Chris Brand and winger Ryan Mirfield.

Prop Dave York has returned to South Africa following an unsuccessful Swinton trial, full back, centre or stand off Chris Hull has committed himself to working in Australia for the next 12 months and second rower Chris Morley has retired due to a knee injury.

Kidd said: "With us having had a disappointing season this year it was inevitable that I would be letting players go. But I would like to thank all of the released players for everything that they have given for our cause.

"And I would particularly like to thank Chris Morley. He was a great servant to this club and other clubs before us and it’s a real shame that he has had to retire due to a knee problem that just wouldn’t go away."

Kidd admitted that he had hoped to sign Paul Raftery from Barrow this summer. But the prop, who was on loan at Swinton earlier in the year, has opted to join Rochdale instead.

l The Lions will soon be announcing a new coaching staff appointment while Bev Heys has been named as their new commercial manager and it has been confirmed that Ryan Thaddeus will manage the club’s fund-raising schemes.