Four burgeoning talents from Barnsley's only rugby league club are making their first steps into the professional game.

A quartet of youngsters from Bolton-upon-Dearne based club Dearne Valley Bulldogs have been selected to represent Super League club academies.

Ben Hartley and Daniel Junior, both 15, have made their debuts for Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in a recent match against Hull FC while 16-year-olds Lewis Peachey and Said Jamal are on scholarships with Castleford Tigers.

Under 16 Junior, from Kendray, had previously been on the books of Sheffield Eagles but the disbanding of their academy had him looking elsewhere for a route into the professional game and he was soon scooped up by Wakefield.

Hartley, from Wath-upon-Dearne, had been singled out as a hot unsigned prospect with 12 tries in his last five games after switching codes from rugby union.

Bulldogs chairman Duncan Henderson said: "It is really good for the under 16s because they have had it rough for a few years. They're doing very well in their league. Everybody is more into rugby union in South Yorkshire but hopefully this helps sell the story of league and we will get a bit more of a crossover."

The club has an ever expanding junior section with its first successes coming last season in Peachey and Jamal being signed up. Peachey, who is from Matlock but plays for the Bulldogs as it is the nearest club to his home, and Rotherham lad Jamal are highly thought of in the Castleford set-up and recently played against Huddersfield Giants.

Henderson hopes there will be many more to come through their ranks from their current junior section.

He added: "The lads already signed up came through our first ever youth teams and the younger age groups are better because they have had more time.

"I believe there will be more and more signed up as we go along.

"The next step is to have one play for the senior Super League side.

"That is always going to be hard because the percentage that make it is very low.

"We hope we will get one through as a professional one day and then we can put the shirt up in the clubhouse and it can give all the kids something to strive for."