YOUNG packman Jake Wingfield has earned the opportunities he has been getting in the Saints middle unit, showing he can play tough as well as skilfully when operating as an interchange front row.

Although he is a natural loose forward, the absence of Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrick couple has allowed him to push up for more minutes as a prop to complement the times he can come on to spell Morgan Knowles at 13.

Coach Kristian Woolf has been pleased with his continued development and the way he has been able to step up on both sides of the ball.

Woolf said: “He has been playing a lot more front row but has pushed back to 13 at different times.

“But he has been coming on and replacing one of our front rowers more than 13.

“He is going really well and developing really well. He is a good tough player and knows how to put himself on the ball and he has a really good skillset and I love how he is chasing his work in defence.

“He has put himself right in the frame to deserve a lot more opportunities. He has been playing more time this last couple of weeks because he has earned that.”

Still young for a middle and developing physically, Woolf expects Wingfield to continue to grow naturally – aided by the full time training environment he is in at Saints.

“With his age, and he’s only just turned 20, he is going to continue to get a little bit bigger and stronger here naturally particularly being in the system with the amount of weight work and strength work that we do he will get that naturally.

“I don’t think he’s one who we need to put a weight target on to aim for. He will develop well and develop physically within the system and with his age.

“There’s a very good footballer in there that is only going to get better,” Woolf said.