UP-and-coming Warriors fly-half George Crook has backed Joey Carlisle to come back stronger from his loan spell in the Championship with Coventry.

Having impressed on loan at Butts Park, Crook has moved up to Willie Walker’s understudy in Mike Ruddock’s plans, while Carlisle has been sent to Coventry to work on his game.

However, Crook doesn’t feel he has leap-frogged his stand-off rival and believes game-time in the second tier of English rugby will be a big benefit to Carlisle — as it was to him.

Crook said: “I have never come across a more talented player than Joey — he is absolutely brilliant and I can’t believe some of the things he does in training. He will come back a much better player from his loan at Coventry.

“You don’t get many chances, so I’m just hoping to catch Mike’s eye while Joey is away. I want to make the most of whatever opportunities come my way.

“I’m just taking it one step at a time and trying to improve. My contract is up at the end of the season, so hopefully I can sign again for Worcester.”

He added: “Harlequins are a great team and maybe their position in the league doesn’t quite reflect that at the moment, but they’ll come here and give us a real game. I’ll be sitting on the bench with my fingers crossed to get on.

“I like to think I’m a ‘steady Eddie’ who likes to stick to the team’s game-plan and structures. I like to sit within them and make them work.

“I like to organise the team and be quite bossy — the flair then almost comes with it, but I like to be a safe 10.”