Bears re-sign more Midlanders

Bears re-sign two more Midlanders

The club is pleased to announce the signing of two more local midlands players to the squad for 2017. Tom Tsang commented below on the re-signings.

Jason Bass- Utility back

Jason joined us in our first season in League 1, from the RFL Midlands Academy. He made an immediate impact, turning in a number of eye catching performances and was that year named Young Player of the Season. In 2016, Jason carried on where he left off and was a regular starter for us in the backline, as well as being an integral part of a successful England Universities side. We are really pleased to have re-signed Jason and he joins a growing number of locally produced players who we have given an opportunity at this level. With his speed, footwork and ability to break tackles, he will continue to be a player to look out for in 2017.

Hayden Freeman- Wing

Hayden had a solid debut season in League 1, scoring in half of the games he played in. For a winger he is very strong, a good athlete and a natural finisher. I am really pleased he has stayed for a second season as I feel we can work with Hayden to really improve his game now he has a year under his belt at this level. I am sure Hayden will work hard through the pre-season as he is more than capable of claiming and keeping a starting shirt in our side.

Bears add talented new blood

New signings sure to add creative excitement

Things are hotting up at the club with the addition of some fantastic new signings which we hope will inject some creative excitement into our squad for next season. Our coaching staff takes us through the new additions below.

Brad Smith in action

Brad Smith (Hooker/ Half/ Loose Forward)

Tom Tsang on Brad Smith;

"Brad has come to us highly recommended from a number of sources, and already knows a number of the current squad due to his time with the Warrington Wolves U19's Academy. He has just returned to the UK from a year playing in Australia in a tough Queensland competition. He is a very high quality hooker, he is a strong defender and has a good kicking game. Brad can also cover the pivot positions plus loose forward if required."

Brad said;

“I am really excited to join the Bears I think they are a club with huge potential and ambition, I'm cannot wait to meet all my new team mates and for pre-season to start and put in good performances on the field”

Will Roper

Will Roper (Fullback/ Wing/ Half)

Bears Assistant Coach Jonny Tuson commented;

“The signing of Will Roper will add more quality to the Bears squad for 2017. Will's development in Rugby League has been swift, only converting from Rugby Union at 17. In his first year of League Will went on to represent England Colleges against France. he later went on to represent GB Students Pioneers before heading to Sydney to play for Wenty magpies in the Ron Massey Cup.  Will has excellent core skills, is a great kicker and is as tough as any forward. His favoured position is Full back but is equally adept to playing wing or half.”

Will commented;

“After returning home to the UK from a season playing in the Ron Massey cup in Sydney, Australia, I feel that Coventry is the right place for me to further improve my game.

After speaking to some of the players and coaches currently at Coventry I feel certain I can contribute to the overall team performance and ultimately the league position at the end of the season.  I'm really looking forward to starting a new chapter in my playing career where I can develop even more as a player”

Lewis Fairhurst

Lewis Fairhurst (Halfback)

Tom Tsang on Lewis Fairhurst;

"Lewis is young, up and coming scrum half. with a lot of potential. He has previously played for St Helens U19's and more recently Salford. Lewis was looking for an opportunity to progress his career. He was in demand from a number of clubs in League 1 and so we are very pleased to have secured his services for 2017. Despite his young age, I expect his experience to shine through and look forward to working with him."

Lewis said;

"I believe that Coventry have offered me a great opportunity to develop as a rugby league player. I wanted to have that chance at playing at a good standard to progress my career and I believe I can achieve that with Coventry and with the coaching staff and players brought in I believe we can raise the profile of the club and hopefully be successful in the upcoming season"

Cian Timmins

Cian Timmins (Halfback/ Loose Forward)

Jonny Tuson on Cian Timmins;

“Cian has signed for the Bears from Halifax. He is a young half back who is also very capable of playing in the back row. He possesses a good kicking game and also has the ability to be a run treat. With Danny Price and Jimmy Redman moving on after last year we needed to add depth to our selection of half backs.

In Cian, the coaching staff feel as though we have brought someone in who is not only going to perform well on the field but also add a lot to the culture of the Club. We are looking forward to Cian starting preseason with us and helping further his development.”

Cian Said;

“I am delighted to have signed for the Bears, this is a really good opportunity for me to play some senior first team rugby league and I'm looking forward to the challenge. 

I have played against a few League 1 sides in friendlies and on Dual Registration and I'm excited to rip in this year.”

All of our new signings as well as many of our retained players are now available for player sponsorship so please contact us on alan.robinson@coventrybears.co.uk for details.

2017 Fixtures Announced

FIXTURES ANNOUNCED FOR 2017

Our 2017 Fixtures have now been announced and it looks like it will be another exciting year for the Bears ahead. Amongst the fixtures is a first away game to the new trans-atlantic club Toronto Wolfpack. 

Coventry Bears Head Coach Tom Tsang had some comments:

"I am happy with how the fixtures have come out for us - it will be a tough start as we play some of the title favourites early on, but we have a coveted away trip to Toronto Wolfpack to look forward to before the end of the first phase. We will have two warm up matches before the League Cup and Challenge Cup in February. We will be looking for improvements from last season in all competitions and the squad we are putting together looks more than capable of that."

Managing Director Alan Robinson also said:

"At the moment we are working harder than ever to improve our squad and build towards this 2017 campaign. It's great to finally see the fixture list and I know many of our supporters are really excited for the season. We have had a record number of memberships already sold and I am now hoping that this will grow further as the fixtures are released. It is an exciting time and with a trip to Toronto and a number of other big clashes on the roster I hope everyone in the City will get behind us"

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Please note: Fixtures are pending the inclusion of York City Knights at this time 

New Signing Elliott Davies

The club has made another new signing in experienced prop forward Elliott Davies.

Tom Tsang commented on the signing of Elliott;

I am very much of the opinion that you need at least 6 strong props to compete at this level. The signing of Elliott brings us to five in the squad and means we have what looks to be a very strong pack. Elliott came through the Wigan Warriors set up and was with Crusaders two years ago before having a year out from rugby. He is still a young player but has heaps of experience. He is fresh from his time away from the game and will be raring to go by the start of the season.

Elliott Davies in Wigan colours

Elliott said;

"I am very excited to be joining the Coventry Bears and look forward to the new challenge the season ahead will bring. I can’t wait to get in, get started and meet the boys after having a year away from the game. I would also like to thank the Bears for the opportunity and hope to repay them with my performances on the field."

Beecham and O'Mara Re-Sign for 2017

Grant Beecham and Charlie O'Mara have re-signed for next season. Tom Tsang gave his comments below on securing two more key players from last year's group. 

Grant Beecham in action 

Grant Beecham

Grant came in to strengthen the side last season, having played for Swinton Lions and Wigan Warriors U19's previously, and he had an immediate impact. Although his natural position is second-row, Grant’s ability to play a few positions meant he spent time at centre and loose forward. Despite this, Grants work-rate and effort never fell short and he quickly became a focal point for the team in attack and defence, with regular key contributions in games. I will look to keep Grant in his preferred back row slot, so we can get the most out of him.

Grant said: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Bears so far and wanted to stay with the same group of players, I think we can really push for bigger things next year with the squad we are building."

Charlie O'Mara on a typical run

Charlie O’Mara

I am really pleased to have managed to retain Charlie for a second year at the Bears. Charlie produced a number of stand out performances after being thrust into the first team early last year, playing in a number of positions. Eventually he settled in the fullback position and really made the shirt his own. As the year progressed Charlie went from strength to strength and turned heads in almost every game he played, drawing interest from a number of other clubs. Charlie’s potential is enormous, and we will work hard with him to help him start to meet that potential.

Charlie said; "I am delighted to of extended my contract for another year with the Bears. I really enjoyed last year and I think the club is only going to progress even more. We surprised some big teams last season in terms of our performance and I hope that continues through into 2017.  I'm looking forward to getting stuck into preseason and working hard in the new year."

Coaching team stays strong for 2017

The Bears senior coaching team has been retained with Tom Tsang Head coach, Jonny Tuson and Mark Sloan Assistant coaches all committed to the clubs future for next season.

Bears Director Alan Robinson said;

I feel very fortunate to have such a strong team off the field in Tom, Jonny and Mark. All have been loyal and committed to the club and have bought into and added great value to everything we do. We are all on the same page in regards to the environment we provide and what we do to support the players. Over the past two years we have made good progression and keeping the coaching team together only strengthens that, It isn't easy but these guys are always up to the challenge. Our aim is to make steady progression and they did that again last year. We are all working hard to finalise our squad and I am very confident it will be a step forward yet again from last season.

More players commit for 2017

We are delighted to announce that a host of current players have now also put pen to paper for 2017.

Below are the first number of outside backs to commit to the club.

Head Coach Tom Tsang commented on the new signings.

Joel James

Joel James

Joel joined the club half way through the year in 2015. As a young halfback he struggled for consistency, and as such didn’t play regularly in the first team. After a strong pre-season, however he was given opportunities in 2016 and eventually settled into a regular starting halfback position. He is a strong and willing defender, with a good natural skill level. He is a young lad, playing in a pressure position and so he is still very much developing – I can’t wait to work with him again in 2017 and help bring the best out of him.

Harry Chapman

Harry is a product of the Midlands RL and RFL regional academy. He only played a handful of games last season, but didn’t let us down when he was called upon. That little bit of experience should set him in good stead and I am hoping he will push the current first team regulars for their position. Equally at home in the halves or fullback, Harry is full of skill and he will learn when and how to make the most of a natural and undoubted talent.

Jamahl Hunte

Jamahl Hunte

Jamma has been with us since our first season in 2015. On his day, he is as explosive and exciting as any winger in the League and can score tries from anywhere on the field, as he demonstrated last season on several occasions. He spent a siginifcant portion of last year on the sidelines following a concussion injury, but he is now fresh and I am looking forward to seeing how he can develop and improve. He will definitely be one to watch in 2017.

Bears sign Gaylor

We are delighted to announce the signing of Billy Gaylor from Halifax.

Tom Tsang said:

Billy is a key signing for us after losing our two starting hookers from last season’s squad (Jay Lobwein signing for Rochdale, Richie Hughes retired).

Billy played against us twice last season when on loan for South Wales from Halifax. He was by far their best player and caused us lots of problems in both matches around the ruck.

When he became available we jumped at the opportunity to sign him and he should become a key part of our forward pack next year as he has great distribution skills, plus a strong running game.

Billy said:

"I am delighted to have signed for Coventry. Coventry have offered me a great opportunity to develop further by paying regular first-team rugby league.

I have worked with Bears coach, Jonny Tuson before as I was part of the England Colleges team and know exactly what he's about, I'm really looking forward to the new challenge, and progressing as far as I can under the coaching staff.

I was on dual registration last year with South Wales and played against Coventry twice, and I'm really excited about playing with their forward pack at the Butts Park Arena.

I can't wait for the new season to start and help the Bears progress even further.

Bears sign young Wigan star

We are delighted to announce the capture of former young Wigan Warriors star Kieran Sherratt.

Tom Tsang commented:

Kieran is our first new signing for 2017 and one that I am particularly excited about. He is a product of the Wigan Warriors academy, having won the Super League u19s championship with them in 2015. Since then he has spent a year in Australia, playing for former Coventry Bears co-captain, Luke Srama, at the Tumut Blues in New South Wales. He has returned to the UK to take up a Sports Scholarship and place at Coventry University studying on their renowned Sports Management degree course. This combined with his playing contract could see him in a Bears shirt for a number of years. He can play a number of positions in the pack, including backrow and loose forward, and adds to what is already shaping up to be a formidable middle unit for us in 2017.

Kieran said:

I believe Coventry offered great opportunities to develop both as a rugby league player and academically through the university, after spending some time down in Coventry and meeting some of the players the team ethic and professionalism shone through. The work which is being done throughout the community was also something which I wanted to part of to raise the profile of the game and develop promising talent. The course at the university was rated as one of the best in the country and offered great opportunities. With the talent in the team and coaching staff I believe we can have a successful year at the Bears, with hopefully more to come. 

Player Sponsorship Available

To sponsor any player for the 2017 season please email alan.robinson@coventrybears.co.uk for details

Reid and Barratt commit

We are proud to announce the re-signing of Matt Reid and Chris Barratt for 2017

Tom Tsang commented:

Matt Reid

Matt joined us from North Wales Crusaders last year and brought with him experience as well as great utility value. He is a tall rangy centre who can also play across the backrow. He was a threat for us on the edge last year, but his best attributes are his coolness in defence. His retention is another statement that we are looking to build on last season’s good form. With a full preseason with us this year, I predict Matt will be a standout for us in 2017.

Matt Reid in action

Matt said:

I have enjoyed my time with the Bears and re-signing was an easy decision, the club has improved on and off the field from when I joined last year and we have a great group. I am really looking forward to what the new year will hold for us.

Chris Barratt takes on the defence

Chris Barratt

Chris is one of the few remaining players who were with the Bears before we made the step up to League 1 in 2015 and has played in every competitive game for us since then. Last season the players voted him in to the leadership group and he was on hand to captain the side when needed. He is a tough as teak right side second row who is comfortable carving out 80 minute performances to a high standard. He is another player who is well respected off the field, and his re-signing will go a long way to keeping the rest of the group together.

Chris said:

I was happy to commit to the club for next season, being here for the past 4 years. We had some great wins this year against respected opposition and there have been some real highlights. Hopefully we can take these positives into next year and kick on again.

Player Sponsorship Available

To sponsor any player for the 2017 season please email alan.robinson@coventrybears.co.uk for details