York Knights bring back prop Ronan Michael on one-year deal

York Knights have re-signed prop forward Ronan Michael on a one-year contract, BBC Sport reports. The 26-year-old has left Australian club Northern Pride to return to England, and he will play for York again.

A prop is one of the big, heavy forwards in the front row of a rugby league team. Props push against the opposition in the scrum, carry the ball into contact and make the tackles that keep the defensive line solid. It is a hard job that rewards strength and stamina more than flair.

Michael knows the club well. He made 71 appearances for York between 2022 and 2024 before moving on to Bradford Bulls. He was released by Bradford at Odsal last year, and he then spent time with Northern Pride, playing in the Hostplus Cup. That competition is based in Queensland, in Australia, and sits below the NRL, the country's top men's league.

He is also an Ireland international, which means he has played for Ireland's rugby league team. Representing a country is a mark of trust from the selectors, and it adds to the experience a player brings back to a club.

A one-year deal runs for a single season. It gives the player and the club the chance to review things when the contract ends, rather than committing for longer. For a player returning to a familiar club, it can be a straightforward way to get back to work.

In rugby league, each team has six tackles to move the ball forward. If they fail to reach the target, possession passes to the other side. That makes the forwards' work at the start of each set especially important, because a team that gains ground early keeps its options open for the rest of the set.

York have not yet said how Michael will fit into their squad for the coming season. What is clear is that a forward with Super League-level experience and an international cap is heading back to a club where he has played before.