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MARCUS ST HILAIRE

MARCUS St Hilaire, the Bradford Bulls and former Leeds Rhinos and Huddersfield Giants star, has signed a two-year contract with Roughyeds to cover 2008 and 2009.
 
Announcing the news, chief executive Chris Hamilton described it as a "massive" signing for the club.
 
St Hilaire, aged 30, played 24 first-team games for the Bulls in the 2007 season -- 19 of them on the right wing, one as a substitute and four at full-back where he deputised for Michael Platt. Most of his Super League appearances, though, were on the right wing where he was first choice, playing mainly outside Ben Harris.
 
Throughout his long Super League career, however --- and its a career that encompasses more than 200 appearances and more than 70 tries in the elite competition --- he has played many times at full-back.
 
Said Mr Hamilton: "Talks have been going on for a few weeks, ever since our NL2 Grand Final appearance. When a deal goes on for that long you are inevitably worried that your man might end up somewhere else or that complications may crop up, so it goes without saying that we are absolutely delighted to have it all done and dusted.
 
"Marcus's appearance record for the Bulls only last season tells its own story. It's a big move for him because he is 30 and he has been a full-time rugby league professional all his career. One of the reasons it has taken so long is that he has been sorting out full-time employment, but he has done that now, signed for us and everything has slipped into place.
 
"He only missed a handful of games for the Bulls last season and that was when he suffered a fractured cheek bone.
 
"As a full-time Super League player for something like ten years he will bring lots of things to the club, like good habits and a high level of professionalism. He will be one of our senior players, obviously.
 
"He has played for most of his career at wing or full-back, but where he plays for us is a matter at any given time for Deaks (coach Steve Deakin).
 
"On behalf of the Roughyeds I would like to publicly thank Marcus's brother, Lee, for all he has done in helping us to steer things through. Lee is an assistant coach at Bradford and he has been a great help. Marcus doesn't have an agent, but Lee advises him and looks after him and, as I say, he has been a huge help."
 
Born in Huddersfield in 1977, Marcus signed for Leeds in July, 1996 as a 19-year-old, scoring 39 tries in 111 senior appearances for the Rhinos before he moved to Huddersfield in 2003, adding another 37 tries in 74 outings. In two seasons at Bradford he ran in 14 tries in 39 games.
 
In his Headingley days he was an integral part of Graham Murray's squad and in 1998 he was voted Yorkshire Evening Post/Leeds Rhinos' Shooting Star. His 111 games in Rhinos colours were made up of 65 starts and 46 appearances off the bench.
 
He was a try scorer at Wembley in the 1999 Challenge Cup final when he came off the bench to play at full-back, thus allowing Iestyn Harris to move to stand-off in the second half.
 
Midway through the 2002 season he was released from the final year of his Leeds contract to join Huddersfield, where he helped the Giants to surge into Super League by finishing top of the Northern Ford Premiership with a ten-point lead over Leigh Centurions and a record that saw them go through the season unbeaten in league competition.
 
Against Oldham at Hurst Cross, however, they had a narrow squeak, winning only 32-30 after the Roughyeds hit back from 32-12 down to score 18 unanswered points late in the game.
 
St Hilaire remained with the Giants in Super League in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and then transferred to Bradford where he has been a prominent member of the Bulls' Super League squad for the past two seasons.