LONDONER Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook is doing his bit to play up the image that he is Saints’ own Del Trotter.

The speedy front rower from Bermondsey admits to developing a sideline, along with wing Ade Gardner, of buying and selling cars from auction.

But the rate they have been shifting them – or not – he is not likely to be saying, “This time next year Ade, we’ll be millionaires!”

He joked: “Yes, I do a bit of car auctioning, but Gardsy just hoards them on his drive.

“When we got into I thought ‘I am actually turning into Del Trotter’. We are trying to a bit, but we are real novices at it.”

Although McCarthy-Scarsbrook, who turns 27 next week, can play the club joker, he takes his rugby seriously, and half way through a four-year contract at Saints he has loved northern life so far, despite facing some obstacles and challenges.

He said: “As a team we came together and under Keiron and Rushy last year as a playing staff.

“The adversity bound us together, even if it didn’t end the way we wanted it to.”

The year saw improvements in McCarthy-Scarsbrook’s own game, too.

In some of the early parts of the year, it was noticeable that the team looked lightweight when Josh Perry, Anthony Laffranchi and Tony Puletua left the field and the lighter brigade took to the fold.

But coach Mike Rush persevered, worked on a few things – and it eventually paid off with McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Paul Clough more than holding their own when the older heads were taking a breather.

“Taking three of your biggest players off does change things, but me and Cloughy knew what each other’s strengths were and we did the little things that you don’t really see – and that paid dividends coming to the back end of the year,” he said.

Saints’ performances were good for long spells of the second half of the year. So much so they were on the verge of what would have been a seventh consecutive Grand Final.

But a harsh call to penalise Saints for offside in the play-off against Warrington at Langtree Park altered the course of history.

McCarthy-Scarsbrook said: “All the guys were gutted in the sheds afterwards – it would have been a fairytale ending to all the boys playing for each other – it was annoying.

“But we got confidence from the results last year. There are four really good teams in this comp, and to go to Warrington and beat them there twice takes some doing.

“We dusted Wigan at the DW on the last round of the season and did the double over Leeds. These are all good stats.

“But we have to do the ugly wins as a team, too, and this year we will do that under Browny.”

The signing of Alex Walmsley from Batley means that there will be a new member of the front row union this season – and McCarthy-Scarsbrook has been impressed so far.

“Alex is immense. He has come on so much in the last few years. He killed it at Batley, and hopefully he will do the same here.

“He has the attributes to be a world beater. He is massive strong and quick and will do wonders for our team,” said the Londoner.