Owen Trout: Plenty of silver linings to go with Dewsbury Rams loan arrangements

I am 19 so it is all about experience. Hopefully I can take a step in the right direction and start knocking on the door to get into the first team at Leeds.

Joining Dewsbury is a step closer to that. If I can play well, hopefully it will catch Dave Furner’s eye because I want to prove to him I am ready to play Super League.

I have played against older men in pre-season games, but it’s completely different when everyone’s had a few games and dusted off the cobwebs and started getting into the rugby properly.

Last Sunday’s Championship game at Halifax was a lot tougher than I am used to, but I enjoyed it.

I didn’t find it much quicker than academy but that might have been because of the pitch. It was hard to get any speed, but physically it is a lot tougher.

Instead of running at 16-19 year olds you’re running at fully-grown men in their early or late 20s.

It was some of the worst conditions I’ve ever played in. I have played in some cold games, but it was by far the coldest I have ever been in a game. I couldn’t feel my feet at the end of it, they were like ice blocks.

The result was disappointing, but Halifax are a good team, with some really good rugby knowledge. We knew at the start whoever completes their sets the most was going to win the game and that’s what they did.

They completed their sets and kept turning us over and we really struggled trying to get out of our own end. I think that took a big chunk of energy out of us. We play Sheffield Eagles this week, which will be another one and then it’s Featherstone away.

That should be good because there’s some Leeds boys, Luke Briscoe, Ashton Golding and Cam Smith, playing for them at the moment.

I’ll be seeing them nearly every day so it will be good to get on the pitch against them. The way it works is I am still at Leeds and Kev Sinfield has said he wants us loan and dual-reg’ players around the club as much as possible so we don’t feel like we are being shipped out.

That was good. It has always been one of my aspirations, ever since I was in the scholarship, to be part of the full-time squad and to get a first-team contract.

I was over the moon when I was offered it and I feel like I am progressing well and, hopefully, I am getting closer to a first-team spot.

While I am on loan we will do the start of the week at Leeds, watch the review with Dewsbury on a Tuesday and train with them on Wednesdays and Fridays to play on Sundays.

It was good playing with my brother Kyle last week. He is nine years older than me so the opportunity has never come up before.

It would have been better to get the win, obviously, but still a good experience. Muizz Mustapha is also there so it was good for us both to go together.

All the Dewsbury lads have been really welcoming and I have never really felt like a new lad, I have felt comfortable with everyone.

It was good to see Leeds have signed Sam Walters. I have played against him when he was at Widnes and in Yorkshire-Lancashire academy games and with him for England academy and he is a good lad and a good player. I am sure he will be a good addition.