Cornwall RLFC strikes new deal with Josh Hartshorne
He made his debut try for the club back in August
Prop forward Josh Hartshorne has agreed a new contract with Cornwall RLFC for the 2023 Betfred League 1 campaign.
Hartshorne enjoyed a stellar first term with the Choughs and was crowned by Player and Players’ Player of the Year for the 2022 campaign.
The 26-year-old joined Cornwall from National Conference League side Thornhill and made his professional bow in the club’s first ever game which resulted in a 62-22 reverse at North Wales Crusaders.
Starting the season in the back-row, a broken hand suffered by Jack Ray in late April paved the way for Hartshorne to move into more familiar pack territory.
He grabbed this opportunity with both hands and was rewarded with a debut Cornwall try against Crusaders in August.
And despite suffering a calf injury as the season neared its conclusion, Hartshorne was rightly rewarded for his endeavours with two end of year awards.
“I can’t wait to come back for a second season,” Hartshorne told cornwallrlfc.co.uk. “Last year went better than I ever could have imagined because I didn’t see myself getting much game time when I signed.
“The club already had two established props in Anthony Mullally and Jack Ray but I got my chance and after I became accustomed to the differences between the amateur and professional game, there was no holding me back.
“I’m proud of what I achieved but that was last year and now we have to look forward. How we go next year will be all about how much the boys want it and with training becoming easier because we will have a settled squad, I am looking forward to progressing as a player and the club to do likewise.
“People from the rugby league world have been looking on with interest at what we’re doing and it's great that the game is being expanded to an area like Cornwall. But as players we know that results are important first and foremost.
“We saw last season how performances improved but that didn’t quite translate into better results. We won’t settle for competitive scores in 2023 and my goal, along with the rest of the players, is to turn a few heartland teams over.”
After Hartshorne inked terms for next year, Cornwall RLFC’s general manager John Beach added: “Josh grabbed the opportunity to play professionally with Cornwall with both hands in what was a tough first season in Betfred League 1 for the club.
“Just like the team, Josh progressed the more he played and with a full pre-season behind him, we are excited to see what he can do in 2023.
“His awards from last season were richly deserved and he was a popular member of the dressing room. His positivity was contagious and certainly rubbed off on others and we see Josh as an integral part of our squad moving forward.”