COMPARED to the other three new Saints recruits, former London and Widnes prop Dan Norman is the relatively unknown commodity - but his towering figure has nevertheless made a positive impression since his arrival at training.

His 6ft 5 frame will immediately lend itself to physical comparisons with Alex Walmsley - and that thought means that the 23-year-old will be viewed as an exciting project.

But coach Kristian Woolf has explained that the club's move for the big man was not a shot in the dark - having studied tape of him in action.

Norman had joined London Broncos ahead of the 2020 campaign after making his Super league debut for Vikings in 2018.

Woolf said: "He is a little bit unknown, but he was brought to my attention midway through last year when I watched a bit of video from his time at Widnes and then London.

"He had some attributes there that we thought we could really work with.

"It is important that everyone realises that he hasn’t got the experience and he is a little bit more of a ‘project’ for want of a better word in the sense that he needs a little bit more time to improve.

"But he has got all the physical attributes and a really good desire and ability to learn. I have been impressed with how quick he has come along so far."

Walmsley was a similar age when he joined Saints from Batley ahead of 2013, and he has matured into one of the best ball-carrying props in the world.

It is a fine blue print for Norman to follow - without heaping too much expectation upon him at the start of his Saints journey.

Woolf knows full well what the coaching staff's role is when it comes to moulding the plasticine of the younger, developing players.

Woolf said: "When you have got a guy of that size and athleticism, our job is to try and teach him how to play a bit of footy and he is really coming along in that aspect.

"The other things I saw in him on the video is that he has a real work ethic on the field. He is not a guy who just wants to carry and not work in D.

"With a body like that he can carry the footy, obviously, and we can add things to that. But he definitely had a real work ethic too.

"That gives you a good solid basis to work with."

And so far in training he has impressed the coach with his fitness, application and ability to learn.

"He has been really good and I am happy with what he has done and I would put him in the same mould as the other three, without the experience.

"He came in extremely fit and really well prepared. In terms of the fitness components of footy he has really impressed – and when you talk about strength and power and being able to move for a big body," Woolf said.

"I have been really impressed with him so far – the way he has come in and fitted into the squad.

"The best compliment I can give him is as the weeks have gone on I am not having to pull him up and coach him much any more.

"Dan is fitting in with the level of the squad really well and that is quite impressive for a young bloke who has never been in this type of system in his life."