THE ACCENT may be about as far removed from Saddleworth as you could get but Luke Yates cannot get enough of it.
And after growing up in bustline Newcastle, New South Wales and living in London, Salford and Manchester, the quieter life suits him just fine.
The Huddersfield Giants rugby league star is a familiar face in the area after settling in Diggle – he even stayed back during Super League’s off-season.
In fact, while many players could have put their feet up, Yates was joining 6am classes at Saddleworth Crossfit.
But the connection with where he lives is very strong indeed – he even refers to Saddleworth as home.
“I really love it,” said Yates. “It’s nice and quiet and there are good cafes and restaurants that are pretty local.
“I like living in the countryside now and my partner loves it there. It feels like home for me.
“It’s completely different to Newcastle and life is at a completely different speed. There we live at the coast and in the beach. That’s beautiful but Saddleworth is beautiful in different ways.”
“It didn’t take much for me to adjust, I’m pretty adaptable anyway. I just make the most out of what situation I’m in.
“Everyone goes on about the weather but the cold doesn’t really bother me, the sun doesn’t either when I’m in Australia.
“I went away with the missus, who used to have a house in the east of Manchester, but I wanted to stay here and do a bit of training.
“She goes to Saddleworth Crossfit and I was going there with her first thing in the morning for 6am classes.
“They do conditioning sessions, so I joined in. When they were doing crossfit, I just did weights.”
Almost as familiar as Yates as the companion who is seemingly inseparable – his dog Ernie.
And after taking some time, he has become as used to Saddleworth as his owner.
Yates, 28, added: “We got Ernie as a rescue and he loves it now.
“We got him in March and it was a bit of a journey with him to get his confidence up.
“But he’s flying now. It’s good to see.”
Yates really has bought into Saddleworth life. He can now be found on the touchline at Saddleworth Rangers ARLFC after he agreed to become an assistant coach.
The connection comes as coach at Shaw Hall Bank Road Wes Rogers is the father of Giants team-mate Fenton.
But now he has become used to his new role, he admits it makes him realise what Huddersfield boss Ian Watson has to do.
Speaking to Saddleworth Independent, Yates said: “I’m really enjoying it at Rangers.
“I did my coaching certificates and then Wes, Fenton’s dad, took over there.
“He asked if I wanted to come down and give him a hand. I jumped at the opportunity to get some experience and it’s good to get to know some lads in the community.
“I know a couple of lads who live that way through the Giants but it’s nice to meet other people on the back of what I do at Rangers.
“And it’s opened my eyes. It’ a completely different level but it’s interesting to see how players take in information and learn.
“Being a leader at Huddersfield, I can see how Watto adapts to different people. It’s about being adaptable in that sense.”
