Flying winger Ryan Ince has signed a new contract to remain at the Vikings in 2024, and he can’t wait to get started after a strong season in 2023.
Restricted to just 18 matches but scoring 11 tries in his time on the pitch, Ince has been a key figure on the flank since returning to his hometown club in 2022.
“It’s been quite a mixed season personally. Early in the year I couldn’t get into the team, and when I did, I picked up some injuries,” Ryan said, speaking to Vikings Media.
“Ollie Brookes’ strong form made it really hard to get back into the side, and that competition out wide meant I had to knuckle down and fight for my place. It was good to get a consistent run of games towards the back end of the season, and once I was in the team I think I played pretty well.”
He did indeed, scoring a hat-trick on his first-team return as the Vikings edged Halifax 28-26 in round 23, and crossed for another acrobatic try against Featherstone in our last game of the season.
So, having crossed the whitewash 11 times last season, is Ince setting any try-scoring targets for 2024? “I don’t really have a number of tries to aim for, I just want to be playing week-in week-out and helping the team achieve our goals. Maintaining good form is the key, and hopefully the tries will come with that.”
On his partnership with recently re-signed centre Matty Fleming, Ince said; “Me and Matty get on really well both on and off the pitch. It’s like we’re on same wavelength when we play together, and he’s a class player in his own right. He’s so skillful and it’s really enjoyable to play alongside him.”
“He lays on plenty of try assists too – without him and Jack Owens I’m not sure I’d get anywhere near as many!”
Looking ahead to 2024, the aims and ambitions for the Vikings as a whole are clear. “The play-offs have to be a minimum target, we’ve missed them every year I’ve been at the club which is far too often. The fans deserve a team competing at the top, and we need to rip in and make sure we’re up there.”
“I’m really looking forward to the style of play we’ll be utilising under Allan Coleman. That expansive kind of rugby is exactly what we need to be doing. We’ve got the players and squad cohesion to pull it off, and if we can it’ll bring results and hopefully plenty of tries for me.”
Director of Operations Chris Hamilton can’t wait to see Ryan doing his thing in 2024. “Ryan is a popular player who just gets on with his game. He’s massively consistent and his team-mates know that they can rely on him.”
“He’s a fan favourite too, because supporters know what sort of performance he’ll put in every single time he takes the field. We couldn’t be happier to have him re-sign for next season.”
With our right-side centre and winger partnership both locked in for 2024, we’ll be turning our attention to the middle of the park over the course of the next week.
Stay tuned for more additions and re-signings over the next few days!
