Stedman’s backing Brown to be a star

OLLIE STEDMAN believes Yorkshire Carnegie young gun Louie Brown has the potential to be the next Tom Biggs.

Carnegie academy winger/full-back Brown, a second-year student at Leeds Beckett University, scored on his league debut in last Friday’s 3527 win at Nottingham and looks to have a bright future.

Biggs famously swapped student life and part-time jobs in a cinema and pea factory to become the club’s alltime record try scorer before leaving for Newcastle in 2009.

“Yorkshire, being the club that it is, always produces good young talent,” said versatile back rower Stedman, who graduated from the Leeds academy.

“You can tell Louie comes from a Rugby League background. He has got some skills, a big left boot on him, he is quick, he likes to get stuck in and be physical. I think he could be a really good player.”

Carnegie gave Brown his big chance after Stevie McColl picked up a knock in the disappointing round one loss to London Scottish.

Stedman added: “The first game against Scottish was always going to be tough coming in without having had a pre-season game, but we knew we had plenty in the tank leading into the Nottingham game and we managed to capitalise on a few mistakes and come away with a good away win.”

With Ryan Burrows having left for Newcastle, the onus will be on Stedman to do the lion’s share of ball carrying – a challenge he relishes.

He said: “It’s the biggest part of my game. We were fortunate last season because we had Buzz (Burrows) and, at the start, Schoey (Dean Schofield) who are both big, abrasive players.

“But this year we have gone for a slightly different style. Jimmy (Lowes, head coach) likes to run the ball but there is still plenty of work to be done and I am more than happy to take on that role.”