Former Super League stalwart Eddie Battye has joined Hunslet for the 2026 campaign following his departure from fellow Championship outfit Sheffield Eagles.
Battye began his career with hometown club Sheffield and spent the last two seasons back with the Eagles, with his exit from the club confirmed midway through last month.
The veteran prop, who will turn 34 in December, has over 300 senior appearances on his CV and more than 100 of those came in Super League.
Having donned a shirt for London Broncos and Wakefield Trinity in the British game as well as Sheffield, the forward also enjoyed a brief stint in France with Villeneuve Leopards back in 2012.
Accordingly, Hunslet will become the fifth club of his career – joining the Parksiders on a one-year deal.
Veteran ex-Super League stalwart seals cross-Championship switch ahead of 2026
Battye will link up with Kyle Trout’s side come the beginning of pre-season, with the Leeds-based outfit having finished bottom of the ladder in the Championship this year.
The 33-year-old said: “I am really happy to have signed for Hunslet and I cant wait to get stuck into this new exciting challenge.
“I have been talking to Kyle for some time and I am really excited to start working with him. He is a young, hungry coach, with a lot of great ideas and he has big plans for the team going forward.
“My aim is to help the club move forward and to continue to build on the strong foundations that the club have begun to lay. I can’t wait to get started.”
All being well, Hunslet will play in a 21-team division next year, with the Championship and League 1 set to merge. Full details of that merger, including the name of the newly-formed competition, are still to be confirmed by the RFL.
Head coach Trout added: “Eddie is a robust leader that will bring a wealth of experience to the group and a point of difference for our middle unit. He has great late feet and a real shift ability.
“We are excited to see the impact he will make both in the short and long term as he helps and guides the younger members of the squad, who will be able to tap into his knowledge of the game and his experience.”
Elsewhere, Hunslet have tied down another former Super League stalwart in the shape of Lee Gaskell for 2026.
Gaskell, whose CV includes close to 200 Super League appearances, joined the Parksiders back in March and went on to feature 13 times in their colours this year.
The former St Helens, Salford Red Devils, Bradford Bulls, Huddersfield Giants and Wakefield star played 19 times alongside Battye for Trinity: and the pair will line up together again come 2026.
