OAKMEADIANS chief James Croker has spoken of his delight after securing the signing of Brendon Daniel.

The former Premiership star, who led Oaks to Bournemouth Sevens glory last month, has agreed to join the Meyrick Parkers as a player-coach.

And Croker is looking forward to teaming up with the ex-New Zealand sevens man.

He told the Daily Echo: “I’ve worked with him before in the sevens and have known him for 10 years, so we’ve got a good relationship.

“His man management is outstanding, as shown in the sevens, and his leadership and knowledge will help us progress from where we are.”

When asked where the signing of Daniel ranked in Oaks’ history, Croker said: “It’s hard to quantify.

“Brendon is only 31 and he’s got to be the highest profile player we’ve had at the club and the results will speak for themselves.”

Oaks have lost the likes of Mike Notobartolo, Ollie Hare, Tom Blackburn and Steve Harman during the close-season, so Croker intends to recruit “13 or 14” players to add to his squad of players.

He added: “We’re recruiting from teams in higher leagues so that’s a good place to be.”

Following last month’s Bournemouth Sevens triumph over local rivals Bournemouth Lions, the Echo revealed that Daniel was open to the idea of joining Oaks on a more regular basis.