And it’s good Knight from Niall with late England call
NIALL Evalds has revealed his delight at earning a start in England Knight’s first tour fixture against Papua New Guinea this weekend.
The Salford full-back was only added to the squad for the trip – which has included a training camp in Brisbane, as well as two matches against the Kumuls in Lae and Port Moresby – at late notice, but has beaten off tough competition from Super League rivals.
“There’s obviously a big competition for places in the England Knights and England set-up, as you can see by the late incomings,” said Evalds (pictured).
“I’ve been picked along with some really good full-backs like Hull FC’s Jamie Shaul and Leeds’ Jack Walker, so I always knew the competition was going to be stiff.
“I’m delighted to have been selected and now I just need to put my best foot forward.”
The 25-year-old crossed for 13 tries in all competitions for the Red Devils this year, finishing the season as the club’s top try-scorer despite missing two months with a broken leg. Evalds revealed: “It was disappointing to pick up that injury against Wakefield and, if I’m honest, I did worry about my chances of making it into the final England Knights squad.
“Luckily for me, my performances at the end of the season earned me a place in the squad and I was delighted when I got the late call.”
Season tickets to watch the Red Devils next year are now on sale from the AJ Bell Stadium, over the phone or from their official website.
Meanwhile, Oldham have secured a coup in tying down fan-favourite prop Luke Nelmes to a new one-year deal at the club. The 25-year-old was the heaviest forward in League 1 last season at 115kgs and made 27 appearances out of a possible 30.
“We didn’t achieve our objective – promotion – but to be fair, I was one of about a dozen new players at the club last season and when there are so many new faces, it’s bound to take time to gel,” said Nelmes.
“Despite finishing lower than we should have done in fifth, I’m happy to sign a new one-year deal and get it done. I know where I’ll be playing now in 2019 and I’m already looking forward to pre-season training.”