Home comforts help Leeds convince Briscoe to switch

Months of speculation were finally ended today when the West Yorkshire club confirmed the 23-year-old’s arrival from Hull FC.

Briscoe had become one of the most sought after players in the game when it became clear he would not be extending his stay at the KC Stadium where he had scored 90 tries in 147 matches.

However, while the likes of England colleagues Sam Tomkins (New Zealand Warriors) and Lee Mossop (Parramatta Eels) have chosen to join fellow countrymen James Graham (Canterbury Bulldogs), Gareth Widdop (St George Ilawarra) and the Burgess brothers (South Sydney) in the NRL next season, he will remain in his native Yorkshire.

Featherstone-born Briscoe declined a three-year deal with Cronulla Sharks and, also, the chance to join Challenge Cup winners and Grand Finalists Wigan Warriors to switch to Headingley.

“That was the decision I had to make; whether I wanted to move out there (Australia) or stay here,” he said, ahead of flying to South Africa today for England’s World Cup training camp.

“But when Leeds came in I think I knew straight away I wanted to be part of things and win things with this club. I’m very excited about the move and can’t wait to start pre-season with the boys and to get into the swing of things.”

Dethroned champions Leeds now have a wealth of talent to draw upon in their backline with England trio Zak Hardaker, Kallum Watkins and Ryan Hall all joining Briscoe in that World Cup squad announced yesterday.

With England Knights winger Ben Jones-Bishop, too, plus Exiles centre Joel Moon who has enjoyed a brilliant debut season at Headingley, someone is clearly going to have to miss out in 2014.

Given the historically prolific Hall’s official rating as the world’s best winger, Jones-Bishop – who has impressed since returning from a worrying blood clot condition in mid-season – seems the player most under threat.

He has been linked with a move to Warrington Wolves but coach Brian McDermott has gone on record saying the 25-year-old has a future at Headingley.

Briscoe’s capture merely increases competition and the new arrival is enticed by the stellar quality already on show at his new club.

“That was one of the attractions,” he said. “Being young myself I hope to be part of that and to be progressing through in the future to help the team win more trophies.

“I will fight for my place and it’s down to me to show what I can do in pre-season and to get one of the starting shirts. The five-year deal was one of the things that attracted me as well. There’s a lot of time to establish myself in the team.”

n Hull FC have signed back-row Chris Tuson from the Wigan Warriors on a two-year deal.

Tuson, 25, had agreed to join Wakefield Wildcats in 2014 but, when the West Yorkshire club recently hit financial trouble, they allowed him to look elsewhere and he has opted to move instead to the KC Stadium.

Leeds Rhinos’ Danny McGuire has been suspended for one match by an RFL Disciplinary Tribunal after being found guilty of the Grade B offence of making dangerous contact with Blake Green of Wigan in last Friday’s play-off semi-final.

McGuire, who admitted the 48th-minute offence, was also fined £300.