KEIGHLEY Cougars have announced the signing of Anthony Dyne.

Dyne becomes their seventh new face for the 2022 season, signing a one-year deal following a spell in France with the Montpellier Sharks.

His contract with the Cougars not only sees Dyne join the club, but will also see him relocate to the town and work within the Cougars Foundation’s schools programme.

And the winger, who stands at an impressive six feet, five inches and weighs 100 kilograms, is looking forward to life in his new home both on and off the field.

“It was an easy decision for me to sign with Keighley this season,” admitted Dyne.

“It was clear from speaking with (head coach) Rhys Lovegrove and (head of rugby) Andrew Henderson that the club had high expectations of success for the season with promotion to the Championship, and I wanted to be a part of that.

“After playing most of my rugby league at Newcastle Thunder and Northumbria University, I am looking forward to starting a new challenge and a new chapter in my career down at Cougar Park.

“I have already been made to feel at home at Keighley.

“The squad has a great energy about it, with a mix of young talent and some great experienced players.

“It’s a very exciting time to be involved with the club as the players, coaches, and staff behind the scenes are all of the highest quality.

“I am looking forward to being a part of the squad and doing whatever I can to help us reach our goal of promotion.”

Born in Middlesbrough, Dyne was introduced to the sport at a youngster, as he came through the ranks at the Peterlee Pumas community club.

Playing for both the Pumas and at school in Middlesbrough, the outside back was picked up at Under-15s level for the scholarship and academy set-up at the Newcastle Thunder.

Featuring regularly for the Thunder at youth level, he was given a first-team opportunity in pre-season friendlies ahead of the 2019 League 1 season.

While he did not break into the first-team fold, Dyne continued to feature regularly at both reserves and academy level and quickly developed a reputation for the spectacular as a playmaking try scorer.

His ability to finish in the corner from tight angles and under immense defensive pressure brought with it plaudits and a comparison with Wakefield Trinity and England winger Tom Johnstone.

Anthony also caught the eye in the students’ game, as he continued his studies away from the sport at Northumbria University between 2018 and 2020.

His performances for the successful rugby league side at the university brought with it international recognition, as Dyne earned himself a selection for the England Universities side.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of competitions for the 2020 season and following the season’s planned end date, he departed Kingston Park.

Dyne then headed across the channel to sign with the Montpellier Sharks in the French Elite Championship competition, but his spell in France was brief, with the winger returning home to join the Cougars for the forthcoming year.