Harlequins RL confirm 2008 squad

Quins RL yesterday confirmed the line-up of their twenty-six man squad for the forthcoming season:

1 Mark McLinden,
2 Jon Wells,
3 Matt Gafa,
4 David Howell,
5 Rikki Sheriffe,
6 Scott Hill,
7 Danny Orr,
8 Karl Temata,
9 Chad Randall,
10 Daniel Heckenberg,
11Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook,
13 Rob Purdham,
14 Julien Rinaldi,
15 Chris Melling,
16 Gareth Haggerty,
17 Danny Ward,
18 Joe Mbu,
19 Tony Clubb,
20 Jon Grayshon,
21 David Tootill,
22 Dwayne Barker,
23 Henry Paul,
24 Will Sharp,
25 Lamont Bryan,
26 Joe Walsh,
27 Mike Worrincy

The absence of a name in the number 12 shirt will reinforce the speculation that the club still hope to sign former Newcastle Knights back-rower Daniel Abraham. Rumours have it that negotiations between Abraham and the club are complicated by the player’s business interests back in Australia.

Elsewhere the promotion of Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook to the number 11 berth is not only a reward for a cementing himself as a regular first grade player last term, but may also indicate Brian McDermott’s thinking around the young forward. At the December fans forum the coach suggested he may attempt to leverage McCarthy-Scarsbrook’s impressive turn of pace away from his preferred front-row position. A switch to second-row may provide the Quins with the big, but mobile forward missing from that role since the departure of Solomon Haumono.

As it stands the squad remains the core of last season’s players, with young backs Will Sharp and Lamont Bryan academy elevated from the academy, second-row Dwayne Barker joining from Castleford, and props Gareth Haggerty and Danny Ward picked up from Salford and Hull KR respectively.

The squad will be formally unveiled to fans at next Thursday’s season launch in The Stoop members bar, 7:30pm start (see here for more details).