SHEFFIELD co-promoter David Hoggart believes Australian youngster Hugh Skidmore has a key role to play for the new-look Tigers this season.

21-year-old Skidmore, who first joined the club in mid-2009, achieved an average just below six last year and is one of only two of the side who finished as Premier League runners-up to return to Owlerton.

Hoggart said: “We’ve seen Hugh progress from an unknown rookie to a solid second-string in a couple of years, and it was felt that 2011 would be the year when he upped his game.

“There were high spots and low ones as well, but he did improve his average. He’s a great little rider on his day and we expect him to step up and find that consistency in 2012. He’ll have learned a lot from last term.”