Charnley heads back to league
JOSH Charnley has completed a return to the Betfred Super League with Warrington Wolves, after 17 months in rugby union with Sale Sharks.
The former Wigan Warriors winger has signed a three-year deal at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, with Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond admitting the club could not guarantee the 26-year-old regular game-time.
“Josh has been a pleasure to work with and he has been a great servant for Sale,” said Diamond.
“However, we have a highly competitive squad here at Sale and Josh’s desire was to play every week and we couldn’t guarantee him that.
“Given how important his desire to play every week was, we thought that this opportunity was right for both parties.
“Everyone here at Sale wishes Josh well on his move to Warrington.”
Charnley, who played 32 times for the Sharks, has signed a three-year deal with the Wolves, immediately joining up with his new team-mates.
He said: “It’s a good club to be at, there’s a good culture here and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in with the lads and pushing for that top-four spot.
“There wasn’t much persuasion needed.
“I know a few boys here who speak highly of this club so it wasn’t a tough decision to put pen to paper.
“I’ve always liked playing at this stadium, it’s one of my favourites.
“I’ve been out of the game 17 months but hopefully I’ll fit straight in with the boys.
“I’ll be looking to bring some enthusiasm to the boys and bring a bit of pace to the team. I’ll try and be a bit physical and try and give the lads a lift.”
Charnley played at Wigan with current Warrington forwards Jack Hughes and Dom Crosby, while Matty Russell was also on the books at the Warriors earlier in his career. His first match against his former club will be at the Magic Weekend in May.
Wire head coach Steve Price said: “Josh is an exciting talent. I kept an eye on him for a number of years prior to him going to rugby union.
“He’s a player who can beat people and break tackles. He’s got electric speed and is a fantastic finisher. I feel he can bring something different to what we currently have at the moment.”