Aston wants Sheffield to win Championship Shield

Sheffield Eagles coach Mark Aston wants his side to win the Championship Shield and finish the year on a high.

The Eagles were widely expected to challenge for the top four again this season after having finished there last year. But that never materialised, despite recruiting a full-time squad, though Aston says the campaign can still be revived.

Aston said: “We’ve done the hard yards and the tough stuff, and have come out the other end.

“Now it’s important that we get some wins and put a run together to build some confidence.

“Getting to a final and winning the Shield is my aim, and it’s something we spoke about four to six weeks ago. “The top four was done, so the challenge for us was to kick on and win the Shield.

“We upped the ante and have been playing better in recent weeks and now we need to replicate that in the next competition.”

Threequarter Ben Blackmore has broken his wrist, but Aston hopes he could return in around a month. Rob Worrincy came back into the side against Whitehaven on Saturday, while George Tyson replaced Michael Knowles.