Telford Tigers’ ‘D’ man Danny Rose expects to see another big improvement in the standard of the EPL next season.
The 21-year-old has been a mainstay for Telford since moving from Nottingham Lions as a fresh-faced youngster in 2012.
He will again form a key part of the Tigers’ rearguard next season, despite Tom Watkins making a string of changes to his squad this summer.
Rose said: “The standard of the league has definitely progressed each year over the five years of me playing in the EPL, and I think it will only continue to get better.
“The improvement will be significant next season, with teams having the chance to sign an extra import, while more players are coming to the EPL from the Elite League.
“The set-up here in Telford is fantastic, especially the support, which is why I had no hesitation when Tom asked me back for next season. Everyone is determined to go one better than last year.”
Telford sprung a surprise last week when former Manchester Storm captain Matty Davies was revealed as a late addition to the Tigers squad.
Rose added: “Having guys like Matty come in, as well as established Tigers players like Jonathan Weaver and Jason Silverthorn, is great for me. Although I’ve been here for five years, I still feel I can develop a lot.
“There isn’t one thing I could say I need to keep developing because I’m learning in each area of my game everyday. The great thing is that I can learn from these guys during the season.”
Rose will again spend next season living in Telford full time, after first making the move from Nottingham at the start of last year.
That change in circumstances saw the youngster enjoy an improved return of 15 points last term, as he benefited from training with his team-mates throughout the week.
“The move to Telford was of course a big thing for me personally, but it soon paid off in terms of my performances,” he said.
“We train twice a week during the day and twice in the evenings, so being on the ice four times a week, as well as matches, really helped my fitness.
“It just meant I could warm down properly, recover and make sure any niggling injuries were dealt with straight away.
“I was in a house with Sam Gospel, Nathan Salem and Denis Bell, which was great fun and also helped to build team spirit. I’m not sure who I’ll be with next season, but I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
(Image permission: Steve Brodie)
