Workington secure promising duo on permanent deals

Drew Darbyshire 11 Sep 2019 9:02 AM

Workington have signed young duo Caine Barnes and Dec O’Donnell on permanent deals from 2020.

Forward Barnes, 20, has been a member of Wigan’s first-team squad since 2017 but failed to make his debut for the Warriors. He has spent time on loan at Workington over the last two seasons, scoring 10 tries in 31 appearances in total for the Cumbrian side.

Workington director of rugby, Gary Murdock, said: “Caine is a fantastic young local talent that the club has always been keen to retain.

“Despite interest from other clubs and Wigan’s intention to keep Caine, we are delighted he’s agreed to sign for Town.”

Hooker O’Donnell, 21, has scored six tries in 15 appearances for Town since joining on loan from Leigh earlier this year. He has already earned three caps for Ireland on the international stage.

Murdock added: “After initially joining the club on loan, Dec quickly established himself to be an important player for the club.

“Dec comes with a great pedigree after coming through the Wigan ranks and the club feels there is much more to come from him. He’s already a fans favourite with his tough no-nonsense approach and he is another recruit with a fantastic attitude.”