Tuesday 5 April 2016 07:57, UK
Newcastle have continued their recruitment drive for the 2016-17 season with the signing of Jersey prop Sam Lockwood.
Lockwood, a former England Students international, has been with the RFU Championship side for the last three seasons after joining from Yorkshire Carnegie.
The 27-year-old is the club's second confirmed signing for 2017 - the Falcons announced last month that Leicester back Vereniki Goneva would be joining over the summer.
He said: "The opportunity to play in the top flight is definitely the main driver for me.
"It all came through very quickly, and I am really looking forward to being at the Falcons and living in the area. I am friends with Calum Green who plays up there, he spoke very highly of the club and that helped make it an easy decision for me.
"I played against Newcastle for Leeds when they were in the Championship. They have a good balance about how they try to play.
"They have a strong pack, they throw the ball around and it is a good track to play on every week of the year, even when the weather is bad.
"I would like to think I am a strong defender, I like to carry, my set-piece is good and I enjoy the scrummaging and mauling aspects of the game. Hopefully I can help improve all of those areas even further through this move."
