Watkins rising again with Red Devils

When Kallum Watkins joined Salford Red Devils just under two years ago, it would have been understandable if the six-time Super League champion were uncertain about what the future held.

Ill-fated spells with NRL side Gold Coast Titans and Toronto Wolfpack - the former being cut short by a return to the UK for family reasons and the latter seeing him leave without playing a game after the Canadian club withdrew from Super League during the pause brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic - left the former Leeds Rhinos player's career at something at a crossroads at the age of 29.

But the switch to Salford, the club the Manchester-born Watkins represented as a junior before joining Leeds, has been revitalising to the extent he has been recalled to the England squad and the 31-year-old could not be happier with life at AJ Bell Stadium.

"I've really enjoyed it," Watkins told Sky Sports. "As soon as I first stepped through the door, they made me feel really welcome.

"I knew a lot of the boys before I came, which was good and made me settle in pretty easily.

"For me, I'm just enjoying my rugby and enjoying my time here, and I got involved in the England squad which was a goal for me to get to.

"I know I've worked really hard for it, but I've had a lot of people at the club who've helped me along the way so I'm always thankful for that as well."

Watkins' appearance for England in last month's 18-4 win over the Combined Nations All Stars marked the first time he had pulled on the national team's shirt since the agonising 6-0 defeat to Australia in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup final.

The postponement of what was meant to be last year's World Cup in England to the end of this season has given him an opportunity to avenge that loss