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[Ossy]

A busy and enjoyable evening last night, which began the moment we turned into the ground to see the squad training hard in the snow. Took me back to my youth, though that was in the days of Winter Rugby, and we never trained with the kind of intensity you see now.

Having missed out on much of last season, it was great to have the chance meet the current squad. 'Old' (or should that be familiar?) faces such as Austin, Patch, Keegs, Rob and Adam; less familiar (to me anyway), James Craven, Luke Blake and Ayden Faal; and new arrivals such as Michael Wainwright and Rob Roberts.

As always the last few weeks before a new season are full of anticipation and optimism, with the annual Boxing Day encounter, up at the Mount this year, first on the list. Hopefully it should be a good season for both the Heavy Woollen sides, and I wish the Bulldogs well, on the strict understanding that neither of us get relegated, and they finish a couple of places below us in the table.

The good news regarding the club didn't concern solely the playing staff though. Not only has Warren signed a new two year contract, but Tetleys will continue their sponsorship deal for a further three years, and Eric France for at least two.

However that doesn't mean that The Rams coffers will be overflowing with money; on the contrary things will continue to be tight, and this is where we fans come into it. Not just Dewsbury Rams need our support, but the championship itself. So, not only should we be there for the home games, but as many of the away ones as we can make - who knows, we might even make the league game at Toulouse this year, though I hope that's not why we'll be going there - to lose that is!

With changes to the Championship competitions being mooted, Rugby League World is asking for ideas on the future of the game at our level, so check it out and make your voice heard. Personally I want The Rams to stay independent, I don't want us to become a 'feeder' club for some Superleague outfit, and I suspect the fans of most clubs in our position would feel the same. Question is, how long can we survive like this?

For now though, all I'm thinking is 'Roll on Boxing Day', and let's get back to this wonderful game we all love with a passion.

Oz.

[creditwhereitsdews]

Thanks for that Oz. That all sounds positive - our club sounds in a better state than many, certainly more realistic in its ambitions. Can't wait for the 26th.