Sheffield Eagles: Oscar will blossom with hard work and coaching

Sheffield Eagles will have a '˜cracking' player on their hands if new half-back Oscar Thomas can refine the game management side of his game.

That’s the verdict of head coach Mark Aston, who has earmarked the former Bradford ace for a major role in his side alongside the returning Cory Aston in the halves.

Aston sees potential in Thomas, and has stressed that some work behind the scenes will see the Scot make great strides.

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“He has ability, he has skill, he can score tries and he can kick a ball for fun,” Aston said. “It is the game management side that he needs to develop. It is our job to ensure that he understands what we want as coaches.

“Once he has achieved that then we are going to have a cracking young player on our hands.”

After chopping and changing with his half-backs for the majority of last season, Aston is looking for consistency this season.

Last season’s regulars Simon Brown, Elliot Minchella and Remy Marginet have all departed, with Aston pinning his hopes on developing Thomas, currently playing alongside the returning Cory Aston.

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Aston senior is looking to use his experience of the position to help improve the 24-year-old Thomas’s decision making, claiming he has the ability to make the necessary adjustment.

“I played in the halves, and one of my strengths was my game management,” Aston added.“At the moment Oscar likes to put a massive midfield bomb up, we will be talking about little things that might serve a better purpose. Some of the ends of sets have been a little disappointing but we’re working on that. He has a lot to learn but the lads are taking things on board.

“Oscar wants to listen, get his head down and prove a few people wrong. That’s again what I like and why we brought him here.”