Frankie Halton encourages Super League clubs to monitor lower leagues

Hull KR forward Frankie Halton believes that a lot of talented players are missed in the lower leagues of the sport.

Halton, 25, made his Super League debut for Tony Smith’s side in their season opener with Wigan.

The back-rower has enjoyed a quick rise within the sport. He only signed his first professional contract with Swinton for the 2019 season.

He had signed from amateur side Leigh Miners Rangers, having also played for Crosfields as a youngster.

The forward impressed enough in his debut season to earn a call-up to the Ireland squad for their World Cup qualifiers.

Halton joined Featherstone ahead of the 2021 season, before inking a two-year deal with the Robins for 2022.

The former England Lions Under-23s representative believes clubs should do more to sign players from the lower leagues

Frankie Halton discusses talent below Super League

“I think there’s so much talent that goes missing,” he said.

“I remember in the Leigh reserve squad, there’s so many players who aren’t even playing now and went under the radar who were great players back then. 

“There’s loads of talent in the Championship and League 1. It’s just people giving them a chance I think and taking that chance with them and letting them progress to build their career up.”

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Head coach Smith in agreement with Frankie Halton

Halton’s head coach in Smith is another who believes there is a lot of talent in the divisions below Super League.

Ahead of 2022, Hull KR added four players from outside the top divisions, including Tom Garratt and Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e.

When asked if he believes there are talented prospects in the lower leagues, Smith responded: “Yes, I do. I’ve said it for a long time. 

“What we’ve tried to do is look at some of the better performers in the Championship. I think we’ve got three of those and given those three a chance to come and try and do it at Super League level.”

Smith giving youngsters a chance

Warrington’s Matty Ashton is another rising youngster who earned a full-time contract from then-Championship side Swinton. Sadiq Adebiyi, formerly of London Broncos, now features at Wakefield. Salford’s Deon Cross is another who was recently given his chance in Super League.

Smith continued: “We spend a lot of money on our first 17, if you like, and then we fill the rest with kids. 

“That’s nothing against the young men that fill numbers 18 to 30. But we often in Super League are playing young men who should be playing in the Championship. And there’s men in the Championship who are actually the next best after the top Super League players. 

“So in some ways we’re not actually Super League, we’re okay league, because once you get injuries you’re actually throwing people in who aren’t really the next best after Super League, if that make sense. 

“So what we’ve tried to do is look at some of the better Championship players, who we think should be sitting just behind the Super League players and given a chance they actually might be better than some of the Super League players. 

“That’s what we’ve tried to do.”

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