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WARREN STEVENS

 
BIG prop Warren Stevens has signed a new two-year contract with Oldham because coach Steve Deakin is convinced the highly-experienced former Warrington, Salford and Leigh front-rower can make an impact in NL2 and, if required, in NL1.
 
The 29-year-old Stevens was playing on a match-to-match basis for struggling Blackpool last season when Deaks offered him a chance to resurrect his career in much the same way that he "rescued" Rob Roberts from the sport's backwaters.
 
While 'Two Bobs' was quickly made captain and went on to become an accomplished leader of a side that won three play-off games to reach the NL2 Grand Final, Stevens didn't figure in the play-offs after appearing in five normal league games.
 
Deaks believes passionately, however, that a prop with more than 100 Super League games under his belt can prove a lot of people wrong in the twilight of his career and enjoy a good run at National League level over the next two years.
 
In two spells with Warrington Wolves he chalked up 83 games at the sport's top level and he added eight with Salford and 18 with Leigh -- 109 in total. He was a regular with Leigh in NL1 in 2006, but he didn't play much last season apart from the odd game with Blackpool and five with the Roughyeds.
 
"I'm really excited about this signing," said Deaks, "and I'm delighted we've got him for two years. I think that sums up the amount of faith I have in him. We certainly didn't see the best of him at the back end of last season. He was struggling with his match fitness when he joined us, but he also had personal problems.
 
"All that is behind him now. Warren could turn out to be a VERY good forward for us, and I stress the word VERY, and the confidence I have in him is reflected in the fact that we have signed him on for two years.
 
"He is a big, athletic front-row man with lots of skills and lots of Super League nous. You don't play as many Super League games as Warren has if you don't have all those attributes. With a hard pre-season behind him I am confident he can rekindle his best form next year.
 
"If he does, our team will have a big, tough, go-forward prop with loads of experience and just as much aggression."