Head Coach Stuart Littler looks ahead to next with a key trio of players ready to take to the field at Heywood Road in 2021.
A number of our fans have recently enquired as to which players are already on pre-existing contracts which cover 2021, so we have spoken to the lads concerned – namely Mike Butt, Luke Waterworth and Brandon Wood – as well as our Head Coach Stuart Littler, in order to provide this latest update!
Wing-man Brandon Wood came to the Lions ahead of the current campaign and had an outstanding debut in the opening day victory at Whitehaven. But sadly his Swinton career came to an unexpected pause owing to the pandemic after just five appearances.
Brandon said, “I can’t wait to get back with the lads and in training for the upcoming season. I just want to be out there and putting in the hard work! I feel confident that we can definitely be one of the top contenders in 2021!”
Wood joined Swinton late in the 2019 season
Hooker Luke Waterworth will be embarking on his sixth season with the Lions in 2021, and since his debut in June 2016 he has emerged as a key player in the Swinton starting line-up. Luke now has 94 appearances under his belt for the Lions, and would certainly have it the century mark had it not been for the enforced lay-off.
Luke commented, “I can’t wait for the new season to start. I do love playing for this club and under Stuart I believe we are developing something special here at Swinton! The fans have always been great and supportive to us even through the tough times that we have had in the past. But we are now developing into a consistent team on a weekly basis and I can’t wait to get going again!”
🏉 | TRY OF THE DAY | 🏉
How does he score from there? Luke Waterworth twists and turns to score against @FevRoversRLFC in 2019.
Sorry we missed your birthday yesterday, Luke! 🤦 Hope this makes up for it slightly! pic.twitter.com/JxfNBNK9Zg
Mike Butt of course has become a real crowd favourite since he first pulled on a Swinton jersey back in our promotion campaign of 2015. Season 2021 will therefore be his seventh as a Swinton Lion. Mike set off the current campaign like a house on fire, and plundered nine tries in five games ahead of the shutdown. To date he’s scored an impressive 75 tries in 115 club appearances, and those stats are sure to grow yet further.
Mike Butt said, “It was an easy decision for me in 2019 to sign for two years. The club is going in the right direction and the ambition that the Board, Stuart and his coaching staff have, have made it very easy for me to want to stay with the club. We’ve got a good group of lads that really buy into each other, and with the new signings we have already made I’m sure we will be a very exciting team to watch next season.”
— Swinton Lions RLFC (@Swinton_Lions) July 5, 2020
In summary, Head Coach Stuart Littler added. “It’s great to update our fans further on our squad building for 2021. The three lads who signed two-year deals last year are all on board and ready to go again.
“Mike Butt started the season in top form and was scoring a lot of points. He sets standards daily within our group and we are delighted he has another year on contract with us.”
“Luke Waterworth is another very valued member of our leadership group and is another player who keeps getting better and better. We are made up that he is with us for another year. After speaking to Luke, I know he is looking forward to another productive season.
“Brandon is another young player with whom we see a lot of scope for development. Brandon came into our group and had to work really hard to get into our starting squad. I still feel there is more to from Brandon as his confidence and knowledge base of how we play the game grows.
“We are looking forward to seeing that further development as he’s already demonstrated that he can be a real handful for opposition defences.”
