ROUGHYEDS are pleased today to announce a signing that brings our squad for 2022 so far up to 20 in number.
Our latest capture is that of 21-year-old utility back Kian Morgan, a Huddersfield lad who has played at youth level for Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers, at first-team level for Halifax and in representative rugby league for England Colleges and for Yorkshire (open age) in the BARLA County Tri-Series against Lancashire and Cumbria.
Naming full-back and centre as his best and most favoured positions, Kian can also play on the wing and in other positions too if so required.
“He has played at Academy level for a couple of Super League clubs and a bit of first team at Halifax and then he went back into the amateur game in and around Huddersfield,”
said our head coach Stuart Littler.
“He’s got a lot to offer the pro game. He can cover every position across the park.
“We’ll be working hard with him in pre-season and he’s young enough and hungry enough to make a big impression.”
Kian comes from a family that’s steeped in Huddersfield’s rugby league community. His father coaches Almondbury Spartans, Richie Hawkyard talked to him positively about the Roughyeds’ merits and former Huddersfield and Oldham player Tom Nadiole is a family friend
Kian started out in rugby league as an eight-year-old at Moldgreen. When he was 15 he caught the eye of Wakefield scouts and went on to play for Trinity’s scholarship team. He later signed for the Academy team at Trinity and then signed for a second year before an opportunity arose to train with Halifax reserves.
“Richard Marshall (then Halifax’s head coach) ultimately invited me to train with the first-team squad and that got me a trial with the first team and I played against Bradford Bulls at Odsal on the Boxing Day,” explained Kian, who lives at the family home in Huddersfield.
“I was only 17, but I must have done okay because Halifax then signed me for the first-team squad. I played a couple of senior games but I was very young and still learning my craft, so I was mainly in the reserves.
“It was about that time that I was selected to play for England Colleges up in Newcastle against the touring Australian Schoolboys. That was an amazing experience.
“I wasn’t getting much first-team action at Halifax, and I subsequently moved to Castleford Tigers when I received an offer to play there at academy level under Tony Smith.
“I played week in and week out for a year and a half and when my contract expired I got a new offer to play for the reserves. I got an opportunity at work, however, and decided to go back to the amateur game.”
It was while he was playing for his Dad’s team at Almondbury that he was picked to play for Yorkshire in the Tri-Series at full-back, after which he received an offer to go back to Castleford, where he had played in the same under-19s team as Brad Jinks.
Added Kian:
“I accepted the Cas offer to play in the reserves, but it never happened because of the pandemic. Then everything went into lockdown. I’ve been coached by some great coaches such as Mark Applegarth at Wakefield, Richard Marshall at Halifax and Tony Smith at Castleford.
“I’m really excited to be playing at Oldham and to be part of the squad. At 21, I’m stronger, fitter and more mature and I’m 100 per cent focused on my new club.
“I’m sure I’ve a lot more to learn from Stu and Shez but I also think I can bring a lot to the table. I can’t wait to get started.”
