With the season just over two weeks away we continue to assess the Swinton Lions squad which is aiming to make the top four in the Championship.
Second-row Matt Sarsfield is an impressive addition to John Duffy's squad and comes with a fine try-scoring record.
Sarsfield played for England Schoolboys against Australia as a youngster and was on Wigan's books before moving to Huddersfield. Unable to make a breakthrough with the Giants, he gained gametime with a loan at Dewsbury in 2011.
But it was in 2013 that the mobile forward made a name for himself with a loan spell with the Lions. His try-scoring exploits playing at the Lions' temporary home Leigh Sports Village impressed the locals sufficiently to earn a move to the Centurions.
In 2014 Sarsfield was a regular as Leigh won the Championship by beating Featherstone in the Grand Final at Headingley. Unfortunately the following season injury struck and Sarsfield could only watch on as Leigh defended the Championship crown but fell short in their promotion bid.
After his release from Leigh Sarsfield joined Salford for 2016 but couldn't win a regular place in the side. He had a successful loan stint at Halifax where he scored seven tries in just nine appearances.
Sarsfield's signature is a major coup for Swinton and he's already demonstrating in pre-season what fans can look forward to this year.
Andy Thornley is another Swinton player with Wigan connections. He came through the Wigan system but didn't break into the first team. It was for Salford whom he made a try-scoring Super League debut against St Helens in 2009. Thornley won further experience with a loan at Whitehaven where he impressed enough to become a regular in 2010.
in 2011 'Chest' signed for Leigh where he became a staple of the side for three seasons. In 2014 Thornley lost his place in the Centurions side and had a loan spell with Swinton. Towards the end of the season he was handed a ban for breaching RFL betting rules and couldn't play again until midway through the 2015 season.
Thornley signed for Swinton and over the last 18 months has become Mr Reliable for John Duffy's side as they won promotion from League One and secured their place in the Championship. Thornley rarely has a poor game and his consistency makes him a contender to be club captain for the 2017 season.
The Saddleworth Rangers junior came through the Leeds academy and he made his Super League debut for the Rhinos in 2014 against the London Broncos. White spent time on loan at Gloucester All Golds before being released by Leeds at the end of 2014.
He signed for Swinton and immediately became first choice half-back, eventually forming a good partnership with Chris Atkin. The highlight of the season for White was a last second drop-goal to equalise against York City Knights and send the game into golden point extra time. Of course the Lions went on to win that game and secure promotion by beating Keighley in the play-off final. White performances earned him wider recognition as he was nominated for League One Player of the Year for 2015.
Last season the White/Atkin axis continued as Swinton avoided relegation. With the addition of Grant Gore into the squad White faces serious competition for a starting place in the team.
Andy Bracek is the experienced head in what is largely a young pack. He made his professional debut way back in 2004 for St Helens but made a name for himself at Warrington where he made 61 appearances between 2005 and 2008.
After leaving the Wolves Bracek signed for Barrow who at the time were a strong Championship outfit. In 2009 he played a big part as the Raiders won the Championship Grand Final and reached the Northern Rail Cup final.
Strong form in Cumbria earned Bracek another crack at Super League with the doomed Crusaders in 2011. That year also brought one of the highlights of his career playing for Wales in the Four Nations.
A return to Barrow who by this point were in decline meant dropping into League One for the first time in his career. But Bracek was offered a way out by Halifax in 2013. He made 88 appearances over three seasons at The Shay where he became a favourite because of his never-say-die attitude and aggressive tackling.
Last season after finding opportunities diminishing in Richard Marshall's side, Bracek was loaned to Swinton, a move which became permanent after a string of strong displays. After losing Mike Morrison last season the Lions are reliant on Bracek's experience, especially when the going is tough.
Anthony Bate played his amateur rugby at Thatto Heath before joining Leigh. The second-row forward made his debut for the Centurions in 2013 and made plenty of appearances for the club, mainly coming off the bench. Bate scored a try in the 2013 Northern Rail Cup win over Sheffield which he describes as the highlight of his career so far.
As Leigh continued to invest in their squad Bate's appearances became less frequent and he moved to Barrow in 2015 where he became a mainstay of the side in League One alongside fellow new recruit Chris Hankinson. Bate faces a lot of competition for a place in the side, the Lions have plenty of options in the second row, but he's made a good start to pre-season scoring his first try for the club against North Wales Crusaders.
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