Williams a target as Eaton gets busy

3:27pm Wednesday 17th September 2008

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The Cougars are hoping to re-sign flying winger Daley Williams from Salford City Reds.

Stunned Williams had only played a handful of first-team Keighley games when Salford came calling three years ago.

After the shock move, he went on to make 11 Super League appearances before the City Reds suffered relegation last season.

Williams, 22, has struggled to win a spot in their National League One side during this campaign and Cougars boss Barry Eaton has offered him a contract for 2009 after holding talks with the Halifax-based player.

He hopes Williams will return to Cougar Park but knows they face stiff competition from National League One outfits Batley Bulldogs and Sheffield Eagles, as well as League Two rivals York City Knights.

Keighley are also in the hunt for Barrow’s impressive Australian back-rower Dave Armistead, while Eaton is keen to sort the futures of current players Richard Knight, Ryan Smith, Craig Fawcett and Greg Nicholson this week.

“They are among the key players I want on board for 2009,” he said, having already started preparing just days after losing out 32-26 in the play-offs against Rochdale.

“I told my players after the game they have to experience that kind of pain and use it as a motivational aid for the future.

“I’ve had my share of disappointments in my career, losing in Grand Finals and in other big games. It’s an essential part of being a professional player; you have to learn about the highs and lows of playing rugby league.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to use that experience as a springboard for next season.”

Although a disappointing end to their campaign – Keighley were 24-6 up and cruising towards a Grand Final eliminator against Oldham – Eaton has had time to put Sunday’s result into perspective.

He said: “When you look at it in the cold light of day, we’ve done well in 2009. Viewed in context and in terms of what has been achieved in the last two years, I’m very happy.

“As a team we have grown together and now we’ve developed into a competent National League team. We’ve got to move on from last Sunday and start working towards what we want to achieve in 2009.”

Eaton also believes the Cougars’ achievements this year – a fifth-place finish with 15 victories – should be considered satisfactory, bearing in mind the club’s limited spending power.

“We’ve put together a squad that finished fifth in the competition without being able to spend a great deal of money and that’s to the club’s credit,” he said.

“I hear what other clubs are paying players and we’re doing well to compete in that kind of market place. We don’t have the same kind spending power but I like to think that players want to join us because they can see where we’re going.”