Wakefield Trinity are delighted to announce that Academy duo Sam Eseh Junior and Patrick O’Donovan have both signed First Team contracts with the Club.

Eseh, 17, and O’Donovan, 18, have both committed to the Club until the end of 2024.

Both players are hardworking forwards who have impressed within the youth teams at Scholarship and Academy level over the past few years.

Eseh, who played his amateur rugby at East Leeds, and O’Donovan, who grew up playing for Lock Lane, join a growing list of young homegrown talent in the Trinity First Team squad.

Speaking on his First Team contract, Eseh said: “I am over the moon to sign a deal with the First Team. It is definitely a proud moment for myself and I’m just excited to get going now.

“My first goal is to work hard at training with the First Team to become more comfortable in that environment and match the intensity. Then I just want to develop as a player and learn from the experienced professionals in the First Team. It’s all about hard work for me and that starts now.”

O’Donovan, who represented England at Youth level, commented: “It’s a blessing for me to sign with the First Team as it’s something that has been a big goal of mine for a while.

“It just leaves me excited to start training and showing what I can do. I’m really pleased with the opportunity I have been given at Wakefield and I’m keen to continue developing over the next few years.”

Trinity Head Coach, Chris Chester, is pleased for Eseh and O’Donovan, and has been particularly impressed with the determination shown by the pair in the early days of pre-season training.

“Sam and Pat came in last week for training and they have just fitted in extremely well,” explained Chester.

“I have to take my hat off to Mark Applegarth for how he’s developed those guys through the system. It’s really important that we’ve got that conveyor belt and succession plan and there are two guys there that are both athletes.

“I get in early on a morning and Sam and Pat are there lifting weigths, squatting 150 kilos! I couldn’t do that after ten years of playing! They’re both strong individuals and I’m really pleased that they’ve come into training and joined the First Team Squad. They are two great young kids who are going to learn a lot.”