Roderick Attard has made his debut in a Gateshead Thunder shirt tonight (Sun 24 Jan) when the Thunder travelled to ‘the Jungle’ to take on Super League club Castleford Tigers this afternoon.

The Malta international came off the bench in the Thunder’s 48-22 loss to the Tigers who finished seventh in last season’s Super League XV.

Entering the field after 23 minutes of play and with the Tigers up 22 to 4, the Thunder won the second half by four points.

Attard (pictured in a trial for the Thunder last November) played in a non-contact training game against Hull KR last Tuesday where he played in one of three periods.

Yesterday Roderick, at a promotion for the Northern Rail Cup at the MetroCentre, Europe's largest shopping centre, said "I have only been in the UK one week and I’ve seen snow for the first time and now this amazing shopping centre. I’m really enjoying meeting people and looking forward to playing Rugby League in this country"

In an unfamiliar role to Thunder players, Attard joined team mates in handing out leaflets offering free admission for children at the team’s two Northern Rail Cup games in February against Workington and Batley Bulldogs.