Sam Hallas gets full-time opportunity

Newcastle Thunder have secured the services of highly respected forward Sam Hallas for the 2022 Betfred Championship season from Bradford.

Hallas makes the move on a two-year deal.

The 25-year-old is a product of the Leeds academy, and has spent much of his professional career with the Bulls, having signed for the club for the 2018 season.

Playing a total of four games for Leeds, he made his first appearances for Bradford on loan in February 2017 before making the permanent switch for the following campaign.

Having featured in almost 90 matches for the Bulls, and was appointed vice-captain ahead of the curtailed 2020 season.

He joins Ireland international Pat Moran in the move to Newcastle.

Sam Hallas on full-time move

“Coming to Newcastle is something really different,” he said.

“I’ve had a couple of mates play for Thunder and they have said that it is a great club. So, I came up and met Freddy and Denis and the whole place just really appeals to me.

“It will be a change of pace and one that I am really looking forward to. It’s a new and exciting start and I can’t wait to get ripped into pre-season.

“There is an exciting vibe around the place and we as players can push that to build something special. I’m a believer in expansion and I think Newcastle is a fantastic place to doing it and I’m really looking forward to representing the club.”

Head coach Eamon O’ Carroll on new signing

Eamon O’ Carroll said: “Sam is a chief of the team; he will do all the little 1% effort areas that spectators might not necessarily see but allows other people in the team to go and do their bit.

“He is really efficient in what he does. He’s fit and is a fantastic person and is a signing I was really keen to get over the line

“He is really honest and how you see him perform on the field is how he behaves off it. I think he is going to be really good for us in terms of how we want to play.”