Sheffield Eagles: Latest on James Thornton's future

The ex-Featherstone ace joined the club on a short-term deal at the end of June but his appearance last Sunday against Bradford was only his second in an Eagles jersey.

Aston has insisted there will only be slight tweaks to his developing side, and recently reiterated his commitment to developing a crop of promising youngsters.

Whether that will include 23-year-old Thornton remains to be seen, with Aston stating it will be up to the player if he wants to come back next season.

Aston told The Star: “We still want to develop these players and he's a good kid. He adds to our culture here, and what I like is good people. He's a good bloke, so there's a good chance he'll stay and do another pre-season with us. It will be his call at the end of the day.”

Thornton initially impressed during a stint at Hemel Stags, which earned him a move to Featherstone but a serious ACL injury halted his progress.

He has been given an opportunity with the Eagles, and Aston insists if he does stay, he’ll need to be playing more regularly next season.

He continued: “If he stays and he doesn't get into our side, then he needs to be out on loan somewhere else. That's what we have to do. He's a good kid. He has some work to do though. He needs a good pre-season behind him.”