Vila Halafihi, who has re-signed for Hunslet on a one-year deal, had no hesitation in putting pen to paper.
The 25-year-old utility man, who is sponsored by Springwater School, Harrogate, can operate effectively at hooker, loose forward, halfback or in the second row and was the Betfred League 1 outfitโs Player of the Year and Coachโs Player of the Year last season.
He said: โI had a good year personally and a reason for that was that Head Coach Gary Thornton gave me plenty of game-time, which I hadnโt really enjoyed at my previous clubs.
โI was a much better player through having regular rugby and playing every week, sometimes operating at hooker and loose forward in the same match. That helped me find myself as a player, and itโs one of the factors that persuaded me to stay.
โThe fact that GT and his coaching staff showed such faith in me was another, although I appreciate that Iโll have to show good form to earn a place in the side next year; weโve signed a number of good young players and selection isnโt guaranteed for anybody.โ
Halafihi, while preferring the hooking role, is happy to play anywhere for the cause but he enjoys sharing the dummy-half role with the experienced Jack Lee, who generally takes on the role in the opening exchanges. โJack is a smart guy,โ he said, โand offers a lot in the early stages. I like to run a bit more, so we complement each other very well.
โWe get plenty of great advice, too, from the sidelines, not only from GT but from his fellow coaches. Mark Cass who, as a former hooker himself at Batley, gives me loads of tips (and some terrible jokes, to be honest!) and Gary Barnett also has a massive input.
โOur coaches have bags of experience and know what itโs all about. Under their guidance weโll be aiming to push for promotion after not really fulfilling our potential last year.
โItโs a hard division to get out of but obviously if we can crack last yearโs poor home form weโll be very much in the mix. It was good to get the personal awards last year but Iโd have swapped them for gaining promotion, and thatโs got to be the target in 2020.โ
Thornton added: โThe fact that Vila won the Playersโ and Coachesโ awards speaks volumes on how highly rated and respected he is by his fellow players and his coaches.
โHe was superb at hooker and equally good when he had to move to loose forward to cover injuries.
โHe really enjoyed his full first season with us and getting regular game time has helped develop him into an established and respected first team player.
โIโm looking forward to seeing him grow even further and, with his enthusiasm and his desire to be the best he can, he will stand up to become one of our senior players at still a young age., and that has such a positive effect on the other guys.โ
Hunslet are offering a range of membership packages to suit all budgets, ranging from the recently-launched `Spirit of 73โ Geoff Gunney Membership (in homage to the all-time great who helped launch New Hunslet following the sale of Parkside in 1973), which costs from ยฃ5 per month, to the ยฃ50 per month Frank Watson VIP membership, which secures a season ticket, match-day hospitality and a seat at the directorsโ table at an away match.