KEIGHLEY Cougars are today happy to announce Anesu Mudoti has signed a new one-year deal with the club.
Arriving ahead of the 2022 season, joining from Hull Kingston Rovers, the prop has agreed to extend his stay by a further year until the end of the 2023 season.
Scoring a try on debut in January’s Challenge Cup loss away at Hunslet, a series of injuries would prevent Mudoti from making a further appearance before being released in September.
However, following assessments carried out by the club’s medical department, Anesu has been passed fit and cleared to return to training and playing, prompting the club to offer him a new deal.
And the Zimbabwean-born forward is raring to go now his future at Cougar Park is secured.
“I’ve been loving my time with the boys since joining Keighley,” admitted Mudoti.
“Now I am fully fit, I can’t wait to rip in during pre-season and hopefully will get some more gametime under my belt in 2023.
“The fans at Keighley are amongst the best in the sport and despite me being sidelined, they have always been supportive of me, and the boys and I can’t wait to play in front of them rather than being sat amongst them.
“I have a point to prove this year.”
Produced through the academy system at the Bradford Bulls, Anesu impressed for the Under-19’s side at Odsal and was rewarded in 2017 with the club’s Under-16 player of the year award.
With the Bulls hitting financial troubles following the conclusion of the 2019 season, he was one of five players sold to Hull Kingston Rovers for a substantial fee to help ease the financial burden on the club.
Life at Craven Park began brightly for Mudoti as he made a serious impression for the club’s reserves side, scoring a memorable try on his debut.
However, a combination of a long-term leg injury and the Covid pandemic would bring his 2020 season to an end shortly after.
The 2021 season would see the young forward move to Doncaster on a season-long loan.
His debut for the Dons in late May would see Anesu take to the field for the first time in 14 months and help his new teammates to victory over the Rochdale Hornets.
He would only make a handful more appearances for the South Yorkshire club as they just missed out on promotion to the Championship at the conclusion of the past season.
Joining the Cougars, he would only make a single appearance during another injury hit year as the side earned promotion to the second tier, but Mudoti is raring to go as the 2023 season edges ever nearer.
Players contracted for season 2023 (as of 28/10/2022): Sadiq Adebiyi; Mo Agoro; Dane Chisholm; Ben Crooks; Thomas Doyle; Keenan Dyer-Dixon; Toby Everett; Billy Gaylor; Charlie Graham; Mark Ioane; Kyle Kesik; Aaron Levy; Josh Lynam; Jack Miller; Anesu Mudoti; Dan Parker; Eddy Pettybourne; Ellis Robson; Lloyd Roby; Nathan Roebuck; Brenden Santi; Harvey Spence; Alix Stephenson; Robbie Storey; Kyle Trout; Brad Walker; Jake Webster; Lewis Young
By Joshua Chapman
