LUCTONIANS have signed flying winger Josh Watkins as they look to stop a mini slump.

Watkins – who has previously played for Worcester Warriors and England 7s – was with Lucs during the 2015/16 season.

And head coach Ryan Watkins is hopeful Watkins can have a similar impact on the team.

"He's got a good record of scoring tries in higher leagues and we hope he can do the same for us," said Watkins.

"We've definitely got to do more when we've got the ball out wide and that there are different ways of defending.

"A big part of the squad is in a good position, but we've got to give a kick up the backsides to some of the players and make them believe that they can beat these teams.

"We're not here to just compete, we're here to win .

"That's a different mentality to have and the players have got to be comfortable with that."

Lucs have lost their last four games, conceding 149 points along the way.

Their latest defeat was a 46-33 home reverse against Sheffield Tigers, which leaves them in 13th position in National League 2 North.

"It was a very open game, but we would have preferred a boring, set-piece dominated one," admitted Watkins.

"Credit to their backs, they scored some great tires, but we identified before the game the threats they posed.

"That's two games on the bounce at home now where we've conceded over 40 points, which is frustrating and disappointing.

"But we've got a lot of players to come back and our forwards are playing really well, it's just disappointing that we conceded so many points because it was a game we would have expected to have won at home."

The Tigers opened the scoring with a James Broadley try in the sixth minute, before Lucs hit back with a converted Guy Kirkby score.

The scoreboard swing back in favour of the away side when Mark Ireland landed the first of his penalties before he converted Henri Packard's try.

Lucs reduced the deficit when Joe White was driven over, again from a rolling maul, with Louis Silver adding the extras.

But the ever efficient boot of Ireland sent the away side in half time with a four point advantage.

The lead changed hands on numerous occasions during the second, with Lucs going in front from the restart when Kirkby again burst through to score.

But Tigers were once again hand thanks to another Ireland penalty.

Will Burton then danced through to score on his return from injury to secure Lucs a try bonus score, with Tom Jones' conversion putting them 26-21 ahead.

But the away side never went away and they clawed themselves back in front when Alex Graham touched down; Ireland again converting.

Pete Swatkins' excellent run and pass to Packard saw the away side stretch their lead, with Ireland's conversion making it 35-26.

Luctonians hit back with a Jordan Street try, converted by Jones, which brought them within two points with 10 minutes remaining.

However, Ireland again made Lucs pay for infringements when he added two more penalties to stretch their advantage before he converted Broadley's second try of the afternoon.

Luctonians: Waugh, Hodnett, Kelly, James, Crowley, Jones, Silver, Smith, Kirkby, White, Breese, Scott, Clayton, Monkley, Morell

Replacements: Powell, Street, Robinson-Hall, Boxhall, Burton.

Sheffield Tigers: Swatkins, Graham, Broadley, Hart, Packard, Ireland, Holmes, Bennett, Thornton, Simmons, Ellis, Langan, Symcox J, Wragg, Monks

Replacements: Coates, Archer, Holland, Symcox A, Mellor.