Salford’s Harvey Livett keen to make an impact against boyhood club Warrington

Three years ago this month, Harvey Livett’s hat-trick at Leeds marked him down as a Warrington star of the future.

A dynamic back row performance saw Livett rip the Rhinos apart as Steve Price’s side earned a ninth straight win at the time.

Fast-forward to now, and the talented 24-year-old faces his former side as a centre for new club Salford, having had five separate loan spells away for the Wolves in search of game time.

But he holds no grudges against his hometown team despite being unable to fulfil his undoubted potential there.

Livett said: “That 2018 season was the one I played regularly in, but it was when Ben Currie was out injured. Once an international player like him came back in it was always going to be hard to get game time.

“That was the main drive for moving away, and I went to Hull KR last year and got a few games under my belt there. I was getting a bit older and didn’t want to be a second or third choice player, I wanted to nail being a first team regular.

“But I don’t have a bad word to say about Warrington. I’m a Warrington lad and I will always support the club whatever happens.”

That won’t extend to tonight’s Super League clash though, with Livett keen to earn a victory he feels Salford’s recent improvement indicates they can. The Red Devils have won just one league game so far this season against promoted Leigh, but pushed unbeaten Wigan to the wire last weekend.

Livett said: “We were very unlucky against Wigan and a few decisions didn’t go our way, but certainly in the last couple of weeks we’ve played well. We’re playing good football but just coming up short, and we know we need to be better in the little one-percenters, especially against Warrington.

“They played very well against Cas and it’s a massive job for us coming off two tough defeats. We’ve got to be at our best but we’ll be all guns blazing.”

The versatile Livett is again expected to line up in the three-quarters tonight, but sees his long-term future back in the pack.

He added: “I’ve had the utility tag on my head for a number of years now and I’m trying to secure that one position that I can be my best in.

“I think that’s back row and I do see myself there ultimately, but for the time being I want to do anything to help the team out.

“I’ve been asked to do a job at centre the last few weeks and I’m happy to play anywhere that Rich (Marshall) needs me.”

Meanwhile Leeds boss Richard Agar has all but ruled out his club’s chances of landing in-demand England half-back George Williams permanently. But where the 26-year-old heads for the rest of this season remains undecided.

Williams has been released immediately by NRL club Canberra and is expected to join Warrington or former club Wigan from next season, but could still sign a short-term deal this year.

Agar said: ”We seriously did enquire but the fact he wants to settle back in the north west pretty much rules us out of signing him long-term.”

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