Western Force lock Phoenix Battye has put pen to paper on a new two-year deal.
Former Australia U20s international praises Sharpe and Wykes
Western Force lock Phoenix Battye has put pen to paper on a new two-year deal.
The former Australia Under-20s international made his debut for the franchise this season - and has gone on to make nine appearances in total.
And having honed his skills under Nathan Sharpe and Sam Wykes, Battye - who initially arrived in Perth in 2011 on a rookie contract - is delighted to be staying with the Force.
"Both the Emirates Western Force and Perth have embraced me and it was always my preference to stick around," he told the club's official site.
"I wanted to repay everyone for the trust they've put in me. Making my debut for the club this year meant a lot and I wanted to try to give back to the club as much as I can.
"I've been here for two years now and my development has been immense, particularly playing under Sharpie and Wykesy. Wykesy has a lot of knowledge under his belt now and Sharpie is one of the stalwarts of Australian rugby so they've helped me develop in leaps and bounds and I'm looking forward to that continuing.
"I've learnt a lot from them in terms of lineout play and general movement about the field. Obviously I've got my own flavour and the way I like to play the game but they've definitely had an influence on that in terms of teaching me good habits.
"I'd like to be pushing that starting squad. I've been in the squad for all but two matches this season and that's been a huge step for me. While there was never that expectation that it would happen, I've tried to take that opportunity with both hands."
