They say a sequel is never quite as good as the original – but new Sharks signing Will Addison is confident that his second spell with his boyhood club will be even better than the first.
Former Sharks skipper Will left the north west of England in 2018 to pursue his dream of playing for Ireland. But after six years with Ulster, and four appearances in the famous green shirt, he’s back home with unfinished business.
He said: “It’s awesome to be back home. Being close to my family, being able to see my mum and dad more, it’s class. My wife’s family are from Manchester so it’s great for her too.
“On the rugby side, I’ve got huge history here with this club. We’re training in a different place now but so many of the people – the coaches and the players – are the same. I love it.
“When I left, I chatted to the coaches and owners and they told me the club would go from strength to strength and that’s exactly what’s happened.
“We are in the hunt for trophies. In the short term, it’s about putting in good team performances and starting the season strongly.
“I haven’t played in the Salford Stadium for a long time but I know it’s a very different place and I know crowds have gone up. I came to the Leicester semi-final the season before last and the La Rochelle game last season and the atmosphere was awesome.
“I’m so excited to be back in front of home fans, feeding off that northern energy.”
The emotional ties for Will and his family are clear but that alone wasn’t enough to draw the 31-year-old back to where it all started. When the prospect of coming home was raised, he needed to know that his old club was targeting the biggest prizes in the game.
He said: “When I first spoke to Al about the possibility of coming back, a big part of the conversation was how competitive we were going to be on the field. Of course, I’ve got the emotional connection and it’s great to come home with all the brilliant people here. But I’m a really competitive person and I wouldn’t have wanted to come back if I didn’t feel we were in a position to compete for trophies, and we absolutely are. That’s really exciting.
“I went through a few serious injuries while I was in Ireland and I think that has matured me and probably helped me understand a bit more about the world means.
“I think I’m a more intelligent player and I enjoy the game management side more than I did. But I’m still exciting, attack-minded, brave-defending player that the Sale fans were used to.”
Will came through the Sharks Academy with some of his new teammates and while he says he’s loving the chance to team up again with good mates, it’s a ‘freakish’ new Sharks signing who is getting him excited.
And he says that as one of the more experienced members of the squad, he’s relishing the chance to help some of the younger Sharks in their development.
He added: “It’s been so good to get back and start playing again with some of my best mates. Tommy Taylor was my best man, Josh Beaumont was an usher for me and Ross Harrison is a really good mate. There are loads of other lads who I played a bit with when they were just coming through, like Tom Roebuck. I can remember helping Tom when he was 17 or 18 and now he’s one of the best wingers in the Premiership and playing for England.
“Seeing the young guys from the local area come through is really exciting but there are other lads who I’ve played against, like Fordy, who I’m really looking forward to playing with.
“I’ve never played against Waisea (Naycalevu) but he’s a freak show. He’s so good. His offloading, his stepping, his power and his leadership are amazing. I’m hoping to catch a few of his offloads! We’ve got so many good young players and if older heads like him and I can add a bit of experience I think that’ll be great.
“We’ve got more great leaders but if I can add anything to these young lads, on or off the pitch, then I’d love to contribute in that way.”
