HUNSLET Rugby League club’s head coach Alan Kilshaw has continued his policy of signing up young local talent by snaring Josh Jordan-Roberts.
The 23-year-old second row forward has joined the Parksiders from Kilshaw’s former club Rochdale Hornets on a one-year deal.
A product of Oulton Raiders, his father is Robert `Two Bobs’ Roberts, the East Leeds coach who himself is no stranger to the South Leeds Stadium, having successfully acted as caretaker boss a few years ago when Hunslet parted company with James Coyle.
`Two Bobs’ said: “Hunslet’s a club I’ve been to a couple of times – one of the highlights of my coaching career was getting a win over Workington!
“The club’s got a great set of supporters and I‘m sure they’ll warm to Josh. I’ve no doubt they’ll continue to play attractive rugby under Alan Kilshaw and hopefully get bigger crowds at their games. As their song goes, `and so we shall again!’”
He continued: “Josh works locally in a school and although Rochdale wanted him to stay with them the time’s right to move to a more local club and Hunslet fit the bill perfectly. Alan’s putting a good squad together and he’s a coach who can get the best out of his players. And he’s signed a back row forward who is adept at slipping the ball out of the tackle.”
Josh, who stands 6 feet tall and weighs over 16 stone (105kg) – and who had spells at Leeds and York before joining Rochdale – said: “Hunslet are obviously close to home but, importantly for me, Alan Kilshaw is assembling a young squad with big aspirations. I’ve been here before, on a three-months loan spell in 2018, and I loved it.
“It’s great to be back and I’m relishing the new challenge. I’m determined to play as well as I can, and at high a level as I can, and I’ll be working hard to impress my dad – who is also my mentor and the biggest influence on my career – who will be watching on from the stands at every game.”
Kilshaw said: “Bringing Josh back to the club was really important to me – we want our best local players playing for Hunslet.
“He has just had a terrific season for Rochdale and been a real handful on an edge – and that includes against us, scoring a try and making a couple of breaks at Spotland.
“It will be good having him in a Hunslet shirt again. He has a great relationship with his Dad who has been really supportive of the move which shows how much respect he has for the club – and with his involvement with East Leeds it can only help us grow those local relationships.”
He concluded: “Josh is heading into an important stage of his career and he can be a real leader for us in the next Betfred League 1 season.”
