Leeds Rhinos assistant coach Chev Walker has praised youngster Tom Nicholson-Watton after his impressive performances in the pre-season. The young prop has caught the eye in outings against Wakefield Trinity and Bradford Bulls in what is the latest development in a career that has already had ups and downs.
An England Youth representative, the 20-year-old has come through the ranks at Headingley, captaining the Under 16s before emerging in the club's reserve grade last year. His journey has been far from straightforward. He has already undergone shoulder reconstruction after several dislocations, a process that saw him miss almost a year of action.
But he has overcome those setbacks and is now on a reserve team contract, pushing hard to get his break. His energetic displays haven't gone unnoticed in his recent outings, with Walker, who has overseen his development from the start of his time at Headingley, leading the praise.
"Tom has had a funny journey, he's come through the Academy and shown a lot of promise early through his scholarship. He had a really bad injury at the back end of that first year and missed eleven months.
"He's getting paid but on a reserves contract, he's working work around training, he's been committed to the cause and he's earnt his right to try and get some game time under his belt. Fair play to Rohan, he's done that for him."
Explaining what the next phase of his development will look like, Walker added: "He's talented, he's just not had a good run at it with injuries. His development is a bit further behind others his age due to injuries and Covid but he's just trying to find his way. He's a good kid, works hard and is no bother, he just needs to find his feet a little bit."
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