Double Joy as Richard joins elder brother

OH, BROTHER . . . Richard Joy (right) has joined Phil (left) by signing as a professional for the Oldham RL club.

OLDHAM RL Club have picked a young player from the under-20s side to sign as a professional.

Forward Richard Joy (20) will follow a path taken previously by half a dozen of the club’s first-team professionals - including his brother Phil (22).

Prop Phil spent most of the 2012 season in the second team before turning pro in 2013 and winning the club’s player-of-the-year award in his first season.

Richard and his twin, Andrew, joined big brother Phil at Whitebank with fewer than a handful of under-20s games still left at the end of last season. But it took only four games this season for Richard to convince his immediate boss Neil Roden and the club’s head coach Scott Naylor he was first-team material.

Under-20s coach Roden said: “He’s tough, with good hands and a great attitude. He’s got the ability to step up.”

Naylor added: “We expect him to progress, as Phil did. He can make it to the next level, of that I’m confident, so it made sense to keep him at the club and to sign him up.”

Richard said: “I was genuinely taken aback when I was asked to sign. It was something I had been aiming for, but I didn’t expect it to come so soon. I guess it’s up to me now.”