A disappointing 2021 Betfred Championship campaign for Sheffield saw the club finish 12th.
The Eagles got off to a great start after a scintillating performance against Bradford Bulls on the opening day, winning 50-12, and followed this up with a well-fought 14-20 win away at York.
Things never really got clicking for Sheffield after a promising start, but they secured their place in the second tier for the forthcoming season once again.
It feels like a new era for Sheffield Eagles, with the club announcing a new deal that will see them play home games at the Community Stadium at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park for the next five years. It's a huge milestone for the club, with them returning to their home city after a year of playing in Doncaster.
The confirmation of their new, official home has been coupled with a major revamp of the playing squad - which will be led by Eagles legend Mark Aston.
Head Coach Aston has been in and around the club for decades now, he's cemented himself in Sheffield folklore for many things, but his Man of the Match performance in the 1998 Challenge Cup final win as a player is the highlight - his contribution to what is still the greatest day in the club’s history will be remembered forever.
There haven't been any pre-season fixtures for Aston to oversee - as is his long-standing preference - but a gruelling training schedule has been paramount to their preparation for their season opener this weekend with so many new faces needing to gel.
It's been a busy off-season at the club, to say the least.
Transfers in:
- Vila Halafihi (Hunslet)
- Mikey Wood (Newcastle Thunder)
- Martyn Reilly (Oldham)
- Liam Kirk (Oldham)
- Bayley Liu (Dewsbury Rams)
- Jason Bass (York City Knights)
- Ben Jones-Bishop (York City Knights)
- Kris Welham (Featherstone Rovers)
- Ross Oakes (Bradford Bulls)
- Matty Chrimes (Hunslet)
- Liam Johnson (Doncaster)
- Ben Sheils (Leeds Rhinos)
- Brandon Douglas (Doncaster)
Transfers out:
- Ryan Millar (Bradford Bulls)
- Olly Butterworth (York City Knights)
- Matt James (Retired)
- Scott Wheeldon (Retired)
- Frankie Mariano (Retired)
- Rob Worrincy (Retired)
- Chris Ball
- James Glover (York City Knights)
- Aaron Brown (Widnes Vikings)
- Oliver Davies (Widnes Vikings)
- Max Clarke (Toulouse)
- Bobby Tyson-Wilson
- Brad Knowles (Halifax Panthers)
- Robbie Ward
- Paddy Byrns
- Greg Burns
One to Watch
The Eagles will be hoping for an improvement on how they fared in 2021 and much of any success could depend on the form of a certified Betfred Championship legend in Anthony Thackeray.
The Hull-born halfback, who turns 36 next month, recently confirmed he will retire at the end of the new season and is motivated to bow out on a high.
Thackeray, who came through the Hull FC academy system, enjoyed stints at Castleford, Widnes, York, Halifax, Dewsbury and Featherstone prior to joining the Eagles, and won the Ray French Award as Man of the Match in the 2019 edition of the 1895 Cup Final at Wembley, helping Sheffield to a memorable win.
It could be a huge year ahead for Thackeray and his club as they return to Sheffield - don't bet against him being amongst the Player of the Year contenders when the season end rolls around.
2022 FULL SQUAD:
Josh Guzdek, Ben Jones-Bishop, Connor Bower, Ross Oakes, Jason Bass, Izaac Farrell, Anthony Thackeray, Brandon Douglas, James Davey, Tyler Dickinson, Liam Johnson, Joel Farrell, Evan Hodgson, Vila Halafihi, Mikey Wood, Blake Broadbent, Liam Kirk, Marty Reilly, Kris Welham, Harry Tyson-Wilson, Ryan Johnson, Matty Chrimes, Bayley Liu, Will Wallis, Kadeem Williams, Ben Sheils
The Eagles get their season underway with a trip to Barrow Raiders, on Sunday 30th January. Kick-off at 15:00.
