Richard Horne believes new signing Cory Aston will help lift standards in the Dons squad.

The 30-year-old has become Horne's second new signing of the off-season after agreeing a two-year deal following his departure from Sheffield Eagles.

And the Dons head coach is convinced Aston's experience of consistently battling in the upper reaches of the Betfred Championship will stand the club in good stead.

Horne said: "He knows what it takes to be part of a team that is successful at this level and what is needed to be right up there among the best, which is exactly what we're going to be chasing over the next couple of years.

"When you're looking to take those next steps forward, you want players in your squad that have been there and done it, but also have room for growth and improvement.

"Cory has all that. He's developed into a top Championship operator, particular in the last couple of years. He's had to show real resilience through some challenging times, and you're always going to encounter them, so he'll be stronger for it.

"But for all that, he's still got plenty of improvement in him. He's still got a lot of career ahead of him and he knows he can still be better than what he's shown already.

"It's a positive that he wants to learn and, as a coaching staff, we'll help him do that.

"He'll be a big player for us in the changing room as well. He knows a fair few of the lads already and I don't think he'll be shy in getting his experience across and having a say.
"We're going to need to drag each other through tough times next year and Cory will help us do that."