ST PAT’S have announced they’ve secured the services of forward Brodie Cheshire for next year’s Group 10 premier league season.  

In a boost to the Saints’ second row, Bathurst product Cheshire comes to the club after spending three years in Penrith Panthers reserve grade football. 

To complement the Cheshire signing, Englishmen Joe Bachelor and Nathan Lawrence will also come onboard: Bachelor as a back rower-centre and Lawrence as fullback-centre. 

Those three will play important roles as Pat’s look to defend their premiership.

Coach Kurt Hancock has high hopes for English pair, but is most excited by Cheshire’s decision to join the squad.

Cheshire left a great impression during their meeting prior to his signing and believes he has leadership potential. 

“I’ve got aspirations of him being captain-coach ... It’s something to think about because I’m not going to be around in Bathurst forever,” he said. 

“He’s very impressive to talk to and he’s very switched on. 

“At the Penrith Panthers he’s been very strong in the under 20s and I can only imagine the quality of the training and the coaching that he’s been getting there. 

“It brings that level of professionalism here. He knows the system and he knows how to run his lines. He’s going to be a big asset for us.”

Cheshire spent his three years trying to break through in the Holden Cup side for the Panthers, but is venturing home in the hope of getting more minutes on his side and furthering his coaching aspirations.

He helped play a part in getting the Mount Pritchard Mounties’ through to this year’s Ron Massey Cup grand final – including a try in their preliminary final win – where his side went down 22-18 against The Entrance Tigers.

For St Pat’s, Cheshire will replace the departing Luke Single in the forward pack.

Hancock says the signing works in harmony with the best interests of his Pat’s team and comes with great potential.

“This frees us up to play Belly [Jacob Bell] in the middle where he would prefer to play,” he said. 

“With Brodie in second row I’ll hope to see him combine with Garry [Reilly, five-eighth] and also Dave Howard and Mick Armstrong.”

Bachelor and Lawrence have ventured to Pat’s following in the footsteps of this year’s Group 10 representative Englishman Luke Newsome, who has since left the club to join South Sydney’s development program.

Both claim plenty of high-level football experience in their venture to Australia.

Bachelor was a junior representative for the Sheffield Eagles academy over the past two years, while Lawrence has been a part of the Rugby League Conference National side Dewsbury Celtic.