Sheffield Eagles coach Mark Aston has admitted the support of Wakefield Trinity in housing them for the 2017 Championship season has been “brilliant”.
The Eagles were forced to look outside of the city this season after being unable to find a ground for this year, as they wait for their new stadium to be completed – hopefully in time for next season.
And Aston, who watched his side play at Wakefield’s Beaumont Legal Stadium for the first time last weekend as they beat Toulouse, said the support of Wakefield chairman Michael Carter has been phenomenal.
“I’m sure that on a nice summers day, some people will stay and watch the rugby,” he said.
“I won’t blame too many people for not staying after the Toulouse game but it will work for us. There will be teething problems but they’ll be thrashed out between Michael and Liam (Claffey) and I can’t thank them enough because we had nowhere to go.
“They welcomed us with open arms; they could have said they didn’t want us to play because of the conditions but Wakefield got behind us which was brilliant.”
Aston also paid tribute to the club’s fans who made the trip to Wakefield last weekend – and said he is optimistic of a brighter future for Sheffield after a difficult off-season.
“Why do I do what I do? Because of the fans, and they’ve had it tough over the last few years but they’re still here,” he said.
“There’s some light at the end of the tunnel with going back into Sheffield and I can look out of my office now and there’s floodlights going up and railings being built so when we can get back there we just move the club forward.”
Sheffield travel to Halifax this weekend looking for their second win of the season against a Fax side who are yet to win in the Championship this campaign.
