HARRY Aaronson, who played for Oldham on loan from Swinton Lions last season, is thrilled to have signed a one-year contract that makes him a fully-fledged member of his home town club’s Betfred Championship squad.
The 21-year-old University of Leeds student scored four tries in nine Roughyeds’ appearances last season but missed the exciting charge to promotion, via the play-offs, because he had booked a holiday before coming to Oldham.
“It was booked to follow the end of Swinton’s season, but then I came to Oldham, who were still playing when I was due to go,” he explained.
“I tried to get a holiday refund, but I couldn’t so there was nothing else I could do about it. I was bitterly disappointed, but I was home to watch the Promotion Final and it was awesome, especially so when taking into account that Newcastle had probably spent ten times more than us in putting their squad together.”
New coach Matt Diskin is delighted to get him on board as a signed-up member of the squad.
He said:
“Harry is a talented young kid. He is an exciting prospect who will add depth to the squad and that will be invaluable as the season progresses.”
Aaronson, whose family home is in Saddleworth, played for Rangers as a boy, then went to Huddersfield Giants Academy and on to Swinton Lions in 2015, scoring two tries on debut at Coventry as a 17-year-old.
He went to Keighley in 2018 and then back to Swinton in 2019. They loaned him to Oldham, initially for one month after Roughyeds lost four wingers in a few weeks.
Lee Kershaw was recalled by Wakefield Trinity, Aaron Jones-Bishop was ruled out for the season with a knee injury, Kyran Johnson suffered a broken jaw and Harry Maders went down with an unknown allergy.
When the month was up Swnton extended the loan to the end of the season.
In year three of a degree course in Social Policy, Aaronson can boast three appearances for England Universities against New Zealand, the Armed Forces and GB Teachers.
Looking ahead to life in the Championship, he said:
“Like Titch (Ritchie Hawkyard) said at the Awards Night, we have no egos. The lads just want to play and get the job done.
“It will be tough next season but we’ve kept the nucleus of the squad together and brought in a few new players to replace those who have gone.
“We’ve got to regard staying up as the absolute minimum. I honestly think we can get above the bottom few and be looking up rather than looking down.”
