SHEFFIELD Eagles have signed former Bulls player Jamie Langley on a two-year contract.

The 30-year-old will link up with the Championship club ahead of next season in a move which will also see the ex-Great Britan star help out with coaching.

He said: “When I was weighing up my options I spoke to a few of the Sheffield lads and none of them had a bad word to say about the club. I know Straff (Duane Straugheir), Knozza (Michael Knowles) and Hirsty (Joe Hirst) and they all love it there; they enjoy their rugby and say it is a great environment to be in.

“It makes it easier when you have friends who are already at the club. You get the enjoyment aspect which is a big part of why I play rugby. I’ve played with Briggsy (Kyle Briggs) and Dom Brambani and played against Keith Senior for a number of years which makes the transition a little bit easier.

“The drive that the club has got behind it at this moment in time, looking to progress over the next few years with the new stadium and everything else, it just seemed like a no brainer for me.”

Langley, who will come up against the Bulls next season, admits that the chance to coach was a big part of his decision to make the switch to South Yorkshire.

“I’m going to be playing first and foremost and I want to play on for as many years as possible,” he said.

“Helping on the coaching side of things is really appealing to me at this stage. I feel like I have a lot to offer having worked under some great coaches during my career. You learn little bits from each one and hopefully I can part with some of that wisdom myself.

“It’s going to be a really good competition next year. All the teams are strengthening; I think they realise it’s going to be a step up in class from what it has been.

“It’s going to be tough. The Championship has been close this year and I think there will be a few teams fighting it out for those top spots.

“There are going to be no pushovers and no easy games; I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into it.”

Eagles head coach Mark Aston said: “We are delighted that Jamie has chosen to join us here at the Eagles.

“I am looking forward to working with him both as a player and as a coach. We have a relatively young forward pack and his knowledge and experience will be invaluable to them.

“I am sure that Jamie will quickly become a fans favourite and build on the reputation he has already gained from his experiences in both Super League and international rugby.”