Deakan Fielder honoured to be staying with Telford Tigers

The 23-year-old, who can play either in defence or as a forward and who was part of the Tigers league title-winning team in 2021, will once again wear the number 26 shirt next season.

Fielder becomes the eighth signing for the new campaign after Zaine McKenzie was announced last week, and he’s delighted to be back playing for his hometown team again looking to take many victories in the next term.

He said: “It’s an honour. To put the jersey on for the team you grew up watching is always a great feeling.

“I can’t wait to get back playing again.

“I want to win, simple as that. We have to take the momentum that we took into the play-offs right into the first game of the season and make sure we play our game.

“The atmosphere during the play-offs was the best I’ve seen and heard, and we need that again in September.”

Fielder reflected on a frustrating campaign for himself last season as he looks ahead to a summer of hard-work to prepare.

“A lot of it was on the sidelines for me, so it was tough to watch and not be able to help the team out,” he said. “That was the worst part of it.

“We did extremely well to mentally get out of that and end the season on a high.

“I believe that in every game I was able to learn a lot more, however my season was quite short with injuries and bans so I’ve definitely got a lot to work on in the summer, make sure my leg is strong, and prepare the best I can for next season.”

Head coach and general manager Tom Watkins is pleased to retain Fielder for next season, believing he’s a good asset to have as he looks to build a team for success. He said: “Fielder is a good old fashioned D-man that loves to defend first and foremost, which for an upcoming young player is a big plus for us as a club.

“Knowing you have that reliability is important for the team to help us build a group with all the pieces.

“He plays a simple but effective game, plays hard, works hard, is very coachable and is keen to get better.

“With his size, strength and physicality, he has to be a pain to play against.”

Meanwhile, Telford Tigers yesterday confirmed that Brodie Jesson will not be returning to the club for the 2023/24 season.

Tigers posted on social media: “We’d like to thank Brodie for his commitment to Telford Tigers and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”