Jamie Salter determined to make mark on return to Plymouth Albion

JAMIE SALTER believes he is returning to Plymouth Albion a better player than when he left in 2009.

The 27-year-old hooker has re-signed for the Championship club from National Three South side Launceston.

It will be his second spell at Brickfields, having spent the 2008-09 season there.

However, he made just three league starts that term before returning to Mounts Bay, the club that he had played for before joining Albion.

Salter, though, firmly believes he can make the grade at Championship level.

And he insists he is coming back to play – not just to make up the numbers.

"I'm looking forward to going back to Plymouth," he told Herald Sport.

"I still know a few of the boys and I have worked with Nat Saumi and JR (John Roberts) before.

"I was disappointed I had to leave before.

"It could have gone better for me.

"But I have been away and been playing regularly and so I am coming back a stronger player.

"There was a lot of competition when I was there before, but I am older and more experienced now. I have played a lot of National League games.

"I am signing to play.

"I believe the (number two) shirt is there to be won."

The Cornwall player will be battling it out with Jon Vickers and Tom Cowan-Dickie for the hooker's jersey.

"It is always good to have competition and it makes you better if you have to earn the shirt," he said.

Salter has signed a part-time contract at Brickfields.

He combines his rugby with working as a PE teacher at Eggbuckland Community College.

Salter knows he will be under pressure to perform next season with many of his pupils being Albion fans.

"A lot of them have heard I play a bit of rugby," said Salter. "But Launceston was a bit too far for them to travel.

"I know that some of the keen rugby boys go to watch Plymouth. Hopefully, they won't criticise me too much!"

Salter's move to Albion comes less than a week after Launceston had told The Herald's sister paper, the Western Morning News, that he had re-signed for them.

"That was a bit frustrating," said Salter.

"I spoke to them at the end of the season but I never signed a contract, so it did annoy me when they released that I had signed for them. I had three really good years at Launceston and I don't want the fans thinking bad of me."

Ironically, Salter's first chance of playing in an Albion shirt again will come against Launceston in a pre-season match at Brickfields on Friday, August 3.

ALBION will play Newcastle next season after they were relegated from the Premiership yesterday following London Welsh's successful appeal against being denied promotion.

An independent appeal panel, chaired by James Dingemans QC, overturned the RFU's original decision not to promote Welsh.

Albion are scheduled to travel to Newcastle on December 1 and entertain them at Brickfields on April 13.

Meanwhile, Doncaster have confirmed that their home match against Albion will be played on Friday, April 19.

Albion's match away at Leeds will be played on Sunday, January 6.

PROP Rob Dugard, who was released by Albion after contact negotiations broke down earlier this summer, has re-joined his former club Coventry.