19th April 2018

GIANTS ACADEMY STAR SIGNS PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT

Jon Luke Kirby signs two year professional contract with the Giants

19 year old Jon Luke Kirby, who has Captained the U19s Academy side, has signed a two year professional contract with the Huddersfield Giants.

After 2017 Academy Player of the Year, Sam Hewitt, was rewarded with a professional contract in March, Kirby is the latest Academy player to make the step up.

Having seen the likes of Hewitt, Louis and Innes Senior and Matty English feature and make an impression for the first team this season, Head of Youth Andy Kelly, was pleased to see Kirby sign a professional contract:

“I’m delighted for Jon Luke Kirby. I think in terms of his time with the scholarship and academy there has been nobody more committed than him. We wax lyrical about Matty English, and we’re seeing the qualities that he brings to the first-team, but Jon Luke Kirby mirrors that commitment, energy and effort.

“Aged 14, 15 and 16 Leeds wanted him and on all occasions he chose to stay with the Giants and follow the pathway that he was on because he enjoyed his time with us and he could see his progression and that there was a future for him at the Club.

“He’s colossal in stature but what he brings is hard-work, honesty, industry, loyalty and is very trustworthy. He brings all the qualities that he’ll need to be a Super League player and at the time when he gets the nod from the Head Coach at Super League level he’ll not let anyone down.

“Sean Folan, our Head of Talent ID, deserves a lot of credit for the impact he’s had on shaping our Academy with the likes of Sam Hewitt, Matty English and the Senior twins before Jon Luke Kirby, and it’s pleasing to see so many local talents progress through the academy to the first-team. The hard work of his team out at the unseen games every weekend should not be underestimated when we look at the talent coming through our academy.”

Kirby was also delighted to have received the contract and said:

“It’s the next step up for me and I’m really pleased that I’ve been given the opportunity. It’s what I’ve always wanted and is what I’ve been working towards over these past five years, so it’s massive to me. It shows that if you work hard and stick at it then you get the rewards and I’m chuffed to bits, I’m just looking forward to cracking on.

“My time at the Club has been brilliant, they’ve given me all the tools I’ve needed to get to where I am today, and I can’t thank them enough. Hopefully it won’t be too long until I get my chance, that’s the aim, to get out there as soon as possible and get some game time and challenge myself at that level.

“Everyone I’ve been coached by at this Club have been brilliant and have done everything they can to help develop me as a player and I can’t fault them at all.

“I went to school with Sam Hewitt and most of the lads are from around this area, so it just shows that the local young lads are doing the business and we’re doing good things, hopefully we can keep that going.”