WATERHEAD WARRIORS are still basking in the memory of an impressive run in the Betfred Challenge Cup which ended in an honourable defeat at the hands of Rochdale Hornets.
The Oldham outfit reached the second round through a memorable 22-14 victory at Siddal, who had been the National Conference League League Leaders in the previous couple of seasons, albeit Grand Final runners-up each time.
In prevailing in Halifax, the Warriors reversed league defeats at the hands of Siddal in 2025, who won 30-12 at Waterhead and 30-10 on their own patch.
Waterhead will now turn their attention to making a mark on the Rugby Football League’s inaugural National Premier Division, following the amateur men’s game’s restructuring under the National Community Rugby League drive.
The victory at Siddal suggests head coach Keith Brennan, his fellow coach Jon Perks and the squad have it in them to close in pole position and certainly improve on last year’s fourth-place finish.
Waterhead have risen through the ranks in recent seasons and Brennan told League Express: “We went well in the top tier in the last twelve months, and we’ve learned that to beat the top teams you have to take your opportunities.
“It’s been said of us that we’re on the rise. That’s for others to say but Jon and I have been in place for around ten years.
“We were coaching the Under 16s, then the first team was without a head coach, so we took over. Our Under 18s and Under 16s simply had to play at open age, there was no other option. Now we have one or two lads in their early 30s, while the youngest are in their late teens.
“One of our best days – although it didn’t feel like it at the time – was when we played at Barrow Island, and Jon and I had to turn out to make up the numbers. We had to fulfil that fixture or we could have been thrown out of the National Conference League. Those lads who played that day continued to work hard – and still are – and they are now reaping the reward.”
He continued: “A key moment was several players rejoining us from Oldham. They didn’t just come back from the professional ranks for the ride, they came back with standards that the other lads have embraced.
“Difficult times, such as that game at Barrow, help create a bond. It can be easy for lads in a youth team to look at their club’s open-age side and, if it’s not going well, opt to go elsewhere, but our young players didn’t do that. They stayed with Waterhead even though, back then, it meant being on the end of some hidings.
“Friendship becomes more than rugby. I know we’re not the only club with that experience, but it’s definitely our story. Jon and I are not emotional blokes, but we do get emotional when we reflect on that Barrow game.
“That day at Barrow I sustained a sternum injury, which I’d never had before, and I’ve never known anything like it.
“After that game, which was on a boiling hot day, we all sat down on the pitch and had a drink. We knew that what we had done had kept us in the NCL. No one gave in and we showed that we have spirit in abundance.”