We are delighted to confirm that centre Ross Oakes has signed an extension to his contract that will see him remain at Avery Fields until the end of the 2028 season.
Ross, 29, joined the Hurricanes ahead of the 2024 season from fellow Betfred Championship side Sheffield Eagles when the Canes were part of Betfred League One. His debut for the club however came in the preceding year when he appeared on dual-registration from the Eagles to feature in the Canes fantastic 10-41 win over Doncaster towards the end of the season.
Ross’ first permanent season for the Canes would see him score four tries in 13 appearances as he would regularly feature in the first half of the season before an injury would see him miss out on the remainder. His performances would however earn him a two-year extension until the end of the 2026 season.
His 2025 season would be far more fortunate as he would be the only player who featured in all 22 of our League One, 1895 Cup and Challenge Cup campaigns. He would also go on to score 10 tries, including two during our 6-72 demolition of Cornwall which still stands as our record league winning margin to date.
This year Ross featured in the first four games of the season before tearing his bicep in February during our 18-14 defeat to Keighley Cougars in the Third Round of the Challenge Cup. This injury would unfortunately keep Ross out of the team until July, when he returned (and scored) during our 30-34 win over Batley at Mount Pleasant, and he has featured a further three times since against Rochdale, Workington and Doncaster (scoring in the latter).
Despite doing the 2026 season tough, his efforts in a Canes shirt over the years have earned him another contract extension, which we’re sure Canes fans will be excited about.
Speaking with Ross, he had this to say on signing for a further two years:
I’m pleased to sign for two more years with the Canes.
I’ve enjoyed my time here so far. The club keeps improving each year and it’s an exciting team to be a part of – I’m looking forward to seeing how far we can go.
It’s been a tough year for me personally with the bicep injury, but I’m looking forward to finishing the season strongly and into the playoffs and aim to have two more big years in a Canes shirt.
We also spoke with Men’s Head Coach Mark Dunning about retaining Oakes:
We’re delighted that Ross has committed himself to the club and the Canes family for another two years.
On the back of being ever-present last year, Ross has had to do it tough this year due to missing a large portion of the season with a ruptured bicep injury which he picked up in the Challenge Cup fixture at Keighley.
Despite this, he’s remained positive and professional in his rehab and worked hard to get back on the field. We have seen in recent weeks what he adds to the group, and we look forward to a strong finish to the season from him and a big contribution to seasons 27 & 28 in the Championship.
Ross joins a raft of Canes players committed until the 2028 season, including but not limited to Matty Chrimes, Todd Horner and Ryan Johnson. We’re looking forward to seeing Ross close off the 2026 season and anticipate seeing what he can do in a Canes shirt for the next two years.
