JACK Hughes has been waxing lyrical about the promising crop of young players in and around the Warrington Wolves first team.

When called upon in 2020, the likes of Ellis Robson, Eribe Doro, Josh Thewlis, Riley Dean and others distinguished themselves as they made the step up to Super League.

A team made up almost exclusively of youngsters lost narrowly to an experienced Salford Red Devils side thanks to a late penalty while they also helped a depleted Wire side to victories over Hull FC and Castleford when many first-teamers were stood down due to Covid protocols.

Hughes joined the club in 2016 and he says he has not been as excited about a group of Wire academy graduates as he has been about this one.

"There’s a real solid group of those young lads now," he said.

"For the first time since I’ve been at the club, there’s a good pool there and I would trust any of them to perform if Pricey (head coach Steve Price) threw them in for Round One.

"That’s all credit to them."

One of the youngsters the club are most excited about is second rower Ellis Longstaff, who made two senior appearances during the 2020 campaign.

Given his competitive nature and dogged determination, comparisons have been drawn with England and Great Britain star John Bateman – something fellow back-rower Hughes can definitely see.

"I can understand people saying they see John Bateman in Ellis," he said.

"He has that attitude of ‘whatever it takes to win’ which is what John has.

"He’s a good lad and understands what we’re trying to do here.

"For a young head, he’s respectful and he works hard and that’s all you can ask of a young lad."