SAINTS have signed Academy graduates Taylor Pemberton and Jumah Sambou on full-time deals ahead of receiving squad numbers for the 2022 season.

The duo both toured Australia on the club’s 2019 Academy tour alongside join Lewis Baxter and Jonathan Bennison who signed full-time earlier this year.

The promising pair have been training with the first team squad over the last few months and are delighted to sign their first professional deals.

Sambou, 19 from Woolston Golds, is an outside back who has starred in the centre for the Academy. He scored five times in as many appearances last season before scoring 7 times in 18 games the year before. He also played twice for the Reserves in 2020.

Sambou is the older brother of Dayon who progresses from the Scholarship system to the Academy ahead of the 2022 campaign.

Pemberton is a hooker from Leigh East. The 18 year old was named in the first team squad in the defeat to Salford earlier this year, but did not make the matchday 17.

He played 10 times this year for the U19s scoring one try. He captained his country to victory over France back in 2019, scoring a try for the England Under 16s side, whilst he has also captained Lancashire U18s.

Both Sambou and Pemberton were included in the England National Performance squad for 2020.

Sambou said: “I want to thank the Club for giving me an opportunity to prove myself. Thanks to the coaches too and I am now looking forward to working hard and learning from the senior players who have been there before.”

Pemberton said: “I am delighted to be in the top squad for next year and to get a squad number is a dream come true for myself and family.

“I want to thank all the coaches in the Academy, including Derek Traynor and Neil Kilshaw and a big thanks to Woolfy [Kristian Woolf] for giving me the opportunity.”

Head Coach Kristian Woolf is delighted to welcome them to the group: “Taylor and Jumah have progressed through the Saints Academy. They know what it means to be a Saints player and I have been impressed with their work ethic and commitment through a difficult 18 months.

“They both work hard, are athletic and have a good skill set. They have trained with the first team a number of times last season and proved they can compete at this level. Saints Academy is renowned for giving young players an opportunity in the first team and they certainly have the potential to be first graders in the future.”

Head of Academy Derek Traynor added: “Both Taylor and Jumah have worked very hard to achieve their goals of becoming young first team members and performed exceptionally well in the academy last season.

“The two lads have had experience of training with the first team and have taken the opportunities to impress Kristian and the first team staff while with them. They have also performed really well on the last tour to Australia and both won awards on tour.

“Taylor is a great leader and always willing to take responsibility and lead the team around the field. His main position is hooker and he captained England at Under 16s level and Lancashire at Under 18s too, but he has also played at loose forward and half back to a very high standard.

“Jumah is a very athletic and skillful outside back who returns the ball very well and is a great finisher. All the scholarship and academy staff are delighted to see both players fulfill their potential and make the step up to full time professional players.”