Rugby League: Sheffield Eagles chief Mark Aston aiming to extend son Cory's loan deal at the club

Cory Aston during Sheffield Eagles' Summer Bash clash with Barrow. Picture: Alex Coleman, ADC Photography.

The half-back returned to his boyhood club for a second loan stint back in May, but his initial one-month deal is now up for discussion, with the Eagles keen to see him stay in South Yorkshire to help their bid for Championship survival.

Parent club Castleford have endured an injury crisis during Aston’s stay in Sheffield, which has seen ex-Eagle Quentin Laulu-Togagae drafted into the halves to great effect with the likes of Jamie Ellis and Luke Gale still sidelined.

Aston Snr admits that the Eagles are now in the hands of Cas coach Daryl Powell, as he seeks to extend the deal on a week-to-week basis.

“We are talking about that this week,” he admitted to The Star.

“I think it runs out at the end of this week, so we are hoping to go week-to-week now on that with Castleford. We will have to see what Castleford are saying, if they want him back then that’s what will happen. They are the parent club so they are in control of the situation. We’d like to see if we could extend it, but we are in their hands.

“It is about whether he will get his opportunity to play, I’ve always said that. He wants to have a crack at Super League, and he hasn’t had that yet. Once he has completed the first month of the loan, you can be pulled back at any notice, so it’s in their favour.”

In recent weeks Aston Jnr has partnered Corey Makelim in the halves, and the duo combined to great effect to beat Barrow at the back end of last month in the Summer Bash.

The partnership has been maintained in the recent games against Swinton and Batley, but the Eagles chief knows he has options again should he lose Aston Jnr, with Simon Brown making a successful return from a knee injury.

“If Cory does go back, the question is who is out there,” he added.

“We have options here, and we have Simon Brown back now from injury. I think that we still have that competition for places if Cory does go back. There are people like Simon Brown and Oscar Thomas that are certainly capable of playing at this level and doing what we need them to do.”