Myall’s impending departure offset as Leeds trio opt to stay put

Huddersfield-born forward Myall, 24, will join the Manchester outfit on a two-year contract after turning down a deal to continue his long association at the Headingley club.

He captained the Saxons last season and has been a constant in Leeds’s 23-man squad this season. He had been linked with moves to Leicester and Northampton but has opted for the Sharks.

Luther Burrell, whose strong performances at centre have been one of the high points of an otherwise trying season, is also to leave the club after declining to sign a new deal with the Premiership strugglers.

Leeds’s plight at the foot of the table, seven points adrift of Newcastle, has made it difficult to secure present players on existing deals and also to attract new signings to the club for next season.

Last year the club lost the likes of Joe Ford and Callum Clark to Premiership rivals, but despite not knowing yet whether they will be playing in the top flight next season, there has been some good news in the decision of a trio of their young stars to commit their futures to the club.

Props Phil Swainston and Gareth Denman along with second row Tom Denton have all agreed new two-year contracts at Headingley Carnegie.

Denton, 23, who is currently out injured with a shoulder injury, has been a mainstay of the Leeds pack this season, having missed only two games all campaign.

Swainston, 21, made his debut back in 2009 and has now made 41 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Denman, 20, is the most recent of the trio to break into the first-team squad having made his debut last season.

Head coach Neil Back, who last week signed up captain Marco Wentzel for another two seasons with Leeds, said: “We are delighted all three players have committed their future to the club. Leeds Carnegie has a strong tradition of giving young players the chance to play at the highest level and all three of these players are proud Yorkshiremen who love playing for their club.

“We are in the process of securing our squad for next season and this is great news on the back of Marco Wentzel’s new contract last week.”