TDRL Transfer Centre: Former Penrith Panther and Blackhawk Sam Martin-Savage joins Matt Bowen’s Lions

The Lions have brought in a key outside back as a Cowboys legend seeks to return his side back to finals action. 

Western Lions have brought a former Penrith Panther into their ranks, as co-coach Matthew Bowen seeks to return his side to finals football.

Versatile outside back Samuel Martin-Savage, who returned to Townsville from the Panthers under-20s system in 2018, has put his Queensland Cup pursuits on hold for the time being and will not line up for the Blackhawks this season.

Instead, Bowen said the 24-year-old would focus on his career in the mines and add a crucial cog to a backline which finished fifth for points scored throughout the 2021 Townsville and District Rugby League campaign.

Injury restricted Martin-Savage to just four games for the Blackhawks last year, but Bowen was confident the experience he would bring to his young side would prove as valuable as his on field presence.

QRL: Townsville Blackhawks begin pre-season training at Jack Manski Oval. Sam Martin-Savage. Picture: Alix Sweeney

“He gave QCup a miss for this year and is just going to concentrate on work for his family, but he’s going to play local footy for the Lions,” Bowen said.

“He plays anywhere, he can play halves, fullback, he played centre for the Blackhawks and he’s a good inclusion to our squad. No doubt he’ll be good for us this year so I can’t wait.

“We’ve got a young squad, I think we debuted six to eight 19 year olds last year. Hopefully we get those boys back this year and they learn from last year.

“It wasn’t our best year last year, but hopefully we can improve on that and hopefully go better this year.”

While at this stage the recruitment of Martin-Savage, and the elevation of halfback Jacob Bourke to the co-coaching role, have been the only Lions’ changes thus far, Bowen was confident more would join their ranks.

Having missed out on earning a Blackhawks contract after being invited to train with the state-league squad, talented lock Marcus Nona is set to remain in Wests’ engine room.In addition, Bourke will no doubt be calling for more support after being the only Lion to feature in the competition’s top 30 for points in 2021.

The challenge for Bowen, the Cowboys legend said, was to ensure he had a commitment group on the training park each week. He said the club introduced several youngsters to the rigours of mens rugby league in 2021, and now they needed to be prepared to step up leading into the new season.

Western Lions skipper Jacob Bourke during the TDRL clash between Centrals Tigers and Western Lions at Townsville Sports Reserve. Picture: MATTHEW ELKERTON

“(Martin-Savage) is our major signing, but the other boys that were there last year will come back and hopefully we can recruit a few more up until before the trials,” Bowen said.

“There will be more coming back, I think boys don’t like training I’ve figured out in local league.

“That’s the challenge of this job, I think if there’s local boys who just want to come play park footy with their mates you don’t want to push them too hard or you push them away from it.

“That’s the challenge I’ve faced, I just have to get my head around that sort of stuff. But I enjoy passing my knowledge on to them and hopefully we can go better this year.”

Blow for Crushers with stars out for 2022

A champion Crusher, a man synonymous with the Herbert River identity, has at last called time on his rugby league career. Brendan Devietti has spent the past decade spearheading the Ingham side’s engine room, defying his smaller stature with lion-hearted efforts on and off the ball.

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His decision to retire has left a hole in the orange brigade that player-coach Mitch Seri said would cause every remaining player to “lift a couple of per cents” to cover the void.

TDRL grand final between the Herbert River Crushers v Brothers from the Townsville Sports reserve. Crushers Brendan Devietti. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“He’s played probably close to 10 years in A-grade in the front row. He’s younger than me so I can’t say he’s getting on a bit, but it’s a tough position and he’s only a small front rower,” Seri said.

“I think after a while you know when it’s time. When your body hurts all the time you get tired of that, and he’s got a young family too so priorities start to change.

“If you want he’ll be an 80 minute front rower; he’ll do 40 tackles and 30 hit ups and never whinge or complain.

“It’s that gritty work in cover defence, diving on the loose ball, the things we all want to see in our players and that’s what we’ll miss.”

While Devietti’s time has come of his own accord, a pair of centres are set to make a straight positional swap due to unfortunate circumstances.
Former Townsville Stingers representative Dylan Gaggiano is back in the Crushers line up for the first time in two years, after the pandemic ended the side’s 2020 campaign and an ACL tear cruelled him of last season.

However as he makes his comeback, the luckless Lindsey Kirk will be sidelined once again.

The former Blackhawks under-20s gun underwent a knee reconstruction after going down against Norths last year, continuing a run of stints in the casualty ward.

Multiple groin and hamstring tears, and even a ruptured testicle, have cruelled his rise through the ranks and he is now set to miss out on the entire 2022 campaign.

Lindsey Kirk crosses over. The Herbert River Crushers Rugby League Club A-Grade side beat the Western Lions of Townsville 36-16 in Ingham on Sunday. Photograph: Cameron Bates

“I feel for him, he’s had serious injuries his whole career and that’s another on the tally,” Seri said.

“Even as a young kid going through the Blackhawks system as a 19-year-old he had recurrent repairs. He’s done it tough.

“I think injuries do play on your mind a little bit, especially when they keep happening, but I think he’s in a good space now. He knows he needs to do the rehab and we’ll see in the years to come what happens with his footy.”

Originally published as TDRL Transfer Centre: Former Penrith Panther and Blackhawk Sam Martin-Savage joins Matt Bowen’s Lions