Friday Interview: Waine Pryce

Gone are the days when the division was looked upon as a mere poor relation to the elite and a graveyard for people who could rarely aspire for more.

Instead, not only are ex-internationals lighting it up but budding youngsters know, if they impress here, top-flight clubs will come looking as Featherstone duo Zak Hardaker and Kyle Briggs discovered, Leeds and Bradford snapping them up last winter.

Whether it be Chris Thorman at York, Sheffield Eagles’ redoubtable Andrew Henderson, Barrow’s high-class trio of Jamie Rooney, Mark Gleeson and Ned Catic or Robbie Paul for Leigh, the standard is eminently rising.

It means Carnegie Challenge Cup fourth round weekend, when Super League outfits come into the fray for the first time against lower-ranked opponents, is not always as simple a task as previously thought.

An ambitious club which will fancy their chances of riling one of the upper echelons is Hunslet Hawks, the south Leeds side who welcome Salford City Reds to their home on Sunday knowing their visitors are standing on shaky ground.

Without a head coach since Shaun McRae went on sick leave in February, they have absent assistant Mal Alker currently embroiled in a dispute with his employers and a porous defence that leaked more than 50 points in three of its last five league games.

Hunslet, who have adapted well since earning promotion as Championship One champions last September, are aware of their scope to take a scalp and will look to their own erstwhile international Waine Pryce to lead.

Having scored almost 50 tries in just over 100 Super League appearances for Castleford Tigers, the explosive winger who featured for England A at the height of his career, has been even more prolific in the myrtle and flame, contributing 21 in 20 games last season.

“Salford’s form has been hit and miss and they’ve had problems off the field so it could be a good time for us to try turn them over,” Pryce told the Yorkshire Post.

“The Challenge Cup is a great competition. Anything can happen in it as we’ve all seen in previous years.

“For a team like Hunslet to draw Salford at home, it’s going to be a massive challenge but we know if the lads step their game up and perform we will do well. Who knows, we could give them a shock. We’ve got players with Super League experience and there’s no reason why we can’t.

“Some of the other lads haven’t played at this level before but they have just got to enjoy the experience and rise to it.”

For Pryce, it is a welcome chance to remind people of what he is capable of himself.

Still only 29, the cousin of former Bradford stars Leon and Karl, has proved a welcome addition to Paul March’s side since joining from Featherstone last March.

His strength and finishing prowess helped fire Hunslet to promotion and he has garnered another five tries this term.

It makes it all the more intriguing to discover why he has not remained in the top flight, having played his last Super League game in June 2007, his sole season with Wakefield having departed relegated Tigers.

“In hindsight, I could go back and say I probably should never have left Castleford when I did,” explains Pryce, who moved to Belle Vue with fellow Tiger Danny Sculthorpe as Michael Platt (Bradford) and Willie Manu (Hull FC) joined the exodus.

“I don’t like looking back – it’s pointless – but I did it for a reason and I have to live with that now.

“Probably if I’d have stayed at Cas I might still have been in Super League but I’m enjoying what I’m doing now.”

Bradford-born Pryce had broken his leg at Harlequins in July 2006 and failed to recapture his best form on his return with Wakefield, scoring four tries in 12 games before being released and signalling his drop down.

However, as he embarks on a four-year mechanical engineering course in Castleford as part of his employment as a fitter at nearby Ferrybridge Power Station, the player who is as exuberant off the pitch as effervescent on it, holds few regrets.

“I miss the lifestyle of being full-time, doing something you love and having plenty of time to do whatever you want,” Pryce says.

“When you’re part-time you have work to do and everything else to fit in but I don’t know if I’m looking to get back into it at this stage of my life.

“I still think I could probably handle it in Super League and this weekend will be a test of my ability but I’ve got to think of my career now and going back to college is part of that.

“I wish I had done something when I was actually at school; when you do it all at this age you forget certain things and you’re back to square one and I know I should have done it all back then.

“I’d send a message out to any young lads coming through – make sure you do your education, learn a trade or something useful.

“I am enjoying it though and I’m enjoying my rugby with Hunslet.”

One of his current work-mates is a Castleford supporter who constantly reminds Pryce of his former club’s sudden ascent this season, a sight he has welcomed given his own affinity with Tigers.

He comes up against a former team-mate when Wayne Godwin – who left for Wigan the first time Castleford were demoted in 2004 – arrives with Salford.

“He was saying if I run at him I’m going to get dumped; I told Wagga I’m just going to run over him,” he said.

It is that phsyicality which has distinguished Pryce, a trait also held by his current player-coach the fiery former Wakefield half-back Paul March, whose twin David is another with vast experience ahead of Sunday.

“I had a few Wakefield reserve games with them which was an experience,” Pryce recollects.

“Everyone knows what they are like – crazy. With Paul now it’s just like playing with one of your best mates which is a good thing.

“The lads respect him and we all know what he’s done in rugby league. He’s been out injured for a couple of weeks but he’ll be looking forward to this more than anyone.”