BARROW RAIDERS coach Paul Crarey would rather not hear talk about his side’s flying start to their first Championship campaign since 2019.
The Cumbrians have already collected four league wins, just one less than their tally for the whole of their last season in the second tier.
“We know what we’ve got, but we’re happy to carry on being considered the underdogs and to go under the radar,” said Crarey.
The Raiders were relegated after racking up only eleven points three seasons ago, but they have regrouped and came up as last year’s League 1 champions.
The 34-24 victory last Monday at Widnes Vikings, previously unbeaten in the Championship, was their most eye-catching of the year to date.
Now Crarey is preparing for Sunday’s visit of London Broncos, from whom he signed star halfback Jarrod Sammut during the close-season.
Other additions on duty against Widnes were second rower Ellis Gillam (from Whitehaven) and Italy international prop Anton Iaria (Penrith Panthers).
Meanwhile there were outings for two forwards on loan from Super League’s Salford – Josh Johnson and Jack Wells.
“Josh has been here before, so he knows our systems, but Jack also slotted in well,” added Crarey, who began his second spell at the helm in late 2014.
“(Fullback) Luke Cresswell pulled off some brilliant tackles while (centre) Hakim Miloudi caused a lot of problems.
“But all the lads played their part, and they deserved the win for the hard work they have been putting in.
“We don’t have the best training facilities. It’s a bit like the Rocky film, we have to beg, steal and borrow.
“But we have a good culture at the club, everyone buys into it and it’s a really close-knit group.
“The Championship is a tough competition. You have to be on it every match, or else you get pumped.
“We know we have to keep grafting, and there are still things we need to improve on.”
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DEWSBURY RAMS have what it takes to recover from a sluggish start to the season and climb the table.
That’s the view of Hull KR backrow forward Elliot Minchella after he played a game for the West Yorkshire side under the two clubs’ dual-registration partnership.
The ex-Bradford Bulls man helped Dewsbury to last month’s first win of the season, 12-10 at home to Sheffield Eagles, another of his former clubs.
Coach Lee Greenwood hoped the Rams would build on that success, but they have since been beaten by Widnes Vikings and Whitehaven in the league and Workington Town in the Challenge Cup.
Dewsbury, who fielded Rovers trio Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e, Rowan Milnes and Greg Richards at Whitehaven, are third-bottom as they prepare for Sunday’s trip to Newcastle Thunder.
“I enjoyed Dewsbury, and they have a solid squad,” said Minchella.
“It was a good win against a capable Sheffield side and should give the lads some confidence.
“I cannot speak highly enough of the club and Lee Greenwood, and I really hope they can get some wins and move up the table.”
Greenwood, who is currently without Calum Turner, the fullback signed from Newcastle, and second rower Jason Walton, recently bolstered his squad with the addition of winger Ben Blackmore, who scored eleven tries in as many appearances for Featherstone Rovers last year.
The 29-year-old Castleford Tigers product, who has also played for Huddersfield Giants and Sheffield, made his Rams’ debut at Whitehaven.
“He’s a good signing for us,” said Greenwood.
“We’ve been after proven Championship or above players, so any time somebody comes up we try and act if they tick all the boxes, which Ben does.
“Whenever I’ve watched him, he’s been a handful, a really strong player who scores plenty of tries and can add another experienced voice in the dressing room.
“And while he hasn’t had a pre-season, he has looked after himself.
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FEATHERSTONE ROVERS are back on the Championship beat when they visit Batley Bulldogs for the second game running this Sunday.
And while the leaders are seeking a sixth win out of six in the second tier, coach Brian McDermott says he wants to see his side playing better.
York City Knights, Leigh Centurions, Workington Town, London Broncos and Halifax Panthers have been beaten by Featherstone, who are fresh from facing Batley in round five of the Challenge Cup.
Just 52 points, the lowest tally in the Championship, have been conceded in those five league outings. But both Leigh (168) and Widnes Vikings (173) have scored more than McDermott’s men, who have 136 to their credit.
“We’d like to be playing a little better,” said the former Leeds Rhinos chief, who has been tasked with repeating his feat of taking Toronto Wolfpack to Super League (at Rovers’ expense) in 2019.
“We’ve made a really good start in terms of getting some wins, but the performances are not quite there yet.
“We’ve been strong defensively, but we have to start asking more questions when we have the ball.”
McDermott is looking forward to an improvement in weather and therefore pitch conditions.
“It’s affected both the matches and the amount and quality of practice and preparation we’ve been able to get through,” he pointed out.
“We’re not short of fields to train on, but we are short of dry grass.
“There is access to a 3G (artificial) pitch, but that can be unrealistic for preparing to pay on a wet, boggy pitch.”
After Batley, Featherstone have home league clashes with Sheffield Eagles on Sunday, April 3 and Barrow Raiders on Good Friday, April 15.
“We have a good, honest group of people who work really hard,” added McDermott.
“It’s no secret that we hope and aim to get promoted, but there are another four or five teams who want the same thing.”
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HALIFAX PANTHERS coach Simon Grix says he’s still frustrated by the defeat at league leaders Featherstone Rovers, but upbeat ahead of his side’s follow-up game at home to second-placed Leigh Centurions in front of the Premier Sports cameras next Monday, March 21.
The Shay chief, who lost French fullback Louis Jouffret with a hamstring injury during the 22-12 loss at the Millennium Stadium, remains convinced his reshaped squad can compete with the best in the division.
“I was gutted to lose,” said Grix, whose side were toppled 29-16 by Featherstone in the fourth round of the Challenge Cup at The Shay the match before and have claimed just one win in five matches in all competitions this season, 28-0 at home to London Broncos.
“I certainly don’t think the scoreline reflected the play, and I thought we were the better side for large parts of the game,” he explained of a match in which his side scored tries through close-season signings Jouffret (from Whitehaven) and Cory Aston (from London Broncos) and weren’t behind until twelve minutes from time.
“We had a sinbinning (Ed Barber after twelve minutes) which didn’t help us, we were just off in a couple of areas, and there were a couple of moments that went against us.
“Louis Jouffret broke through and we were two on one against the fullback, but he went down with his injury and the opportunity was lost.
“And Dan Murray was over the line under the sticks but couldn’t get the ball down.
“Had either of those incidents been different, the result would have been different, but it wasn’t to be, and we have to dust ourselves down and go again.
“I know we’re capable and I’m proud of the effort the boys out in, but I want to get past just being proud about us competing. I want us to win these games.”
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LEIGH CENTURIONS coach Adrian Lam was quick to congratulate Ben Reynolds for the second match running after the stand-off helped his side beat Newcastle Thunder 34-18 to make it four wins from five league games.
The former Castleford and Wakefield man, who is in his second spell at the club, made his 100th Leigh appearance in the 38-4 Challenge Cup fourth-round win over Widnes Vikings.
And the 28-year-old’s 28th-minute try against Newcastle put him into the club’s all-time top-ten points-scorers list.
Reynolds also kicked five goals from six attempts, and now has 701 points for Leigh from 36 tries, 278 goals and one field-goal.
The top three in the chart are John Woods with 2,492 in two spells (1976-85 and 1990-92), Fifties fullback Jimmy Ledgard (2,194) and current Oldham halfback Martyn Ridyard, who totted up 2,008 points in his two spells (2009-17 and 2019-20).
They are followed by Neil Turley (1,519), Chris Johnson (1,073), Ryan Brierley (797), Jimmy Fiddler (737), Mick Nanyn (732) and Stuart Ferguson (713).
“Ben just had his 100th game for our club, which was a great achievement, then he got into our top ten for points-scoring, which is brilliant when you look at the list and see who is in there,” said Lam, whose side are second to Featherstone in the table.
“We made sure we got around him and marked what he’d done.”
Leigh go to Bradford Bulls in the fifth round of the Challenge Cup tonight (Monday, March 14), then visit Halifax Panthers for a big league game, again in front of the Premier Sports cameras, next Monday, March 21.
Kiwi fullback Caleb Aekins will be aiming to cross for the fourth match running.
The close-season capture from Canberra Raiders scored one try in the 40-4 win at York City Knights, three against Widnes and two versus Newcastle.
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NEWCASTLE THUNDER Chairman Keith Christie is keen to take every opportunity available to publicise his ambitious club.
Eamon O’Carroll’s eighth-placed side’s next home game, against Widnes Vikings on Monday, April 4, will be live on Premier Sports.
Also providing the potential for further exposure for Thunder is Super League’s Magic Weekend at St James’ Park, Newcastle on July 9/10 and the World Cup opener between England and Samoa at the city’s iconic ground on Saturday, October 15.
Recently-installed Christie, a former general manager and managing director of the club, said: “I have a real vision of what we can achieve for Rugby League in the North-East.
“The club has always had huge potential, which we all realise. But making a fruitful and sustainable venture we need to see community clubs, sponsors and fans getting behind us.
“We have some very good people working hard on our behalf. I hope to bring some support to them to help us make the most of a big year for the sport.
“With the club playing Championship rugby, Magic Weekend returning and the Rugby League World Cup looming large, there are some big opportunities to grow the club that we must take advantage of.”
Coach O’Carroll, meanwhile, saw signs of progress in his side’s performance at Leigh Centurions, even though they lost 34-18.
“After York (Newcastle lost 42-13 to the City Knights in the Challenge Cup), I challenged the group to respond, and they did,” he said.
“I saw some of the things we have been working on in training, which was encouraging.
“I think over the last two weeks, we have learned some valuable lessons and can really kick on for the rest of the season.
“Leigh are a top team, but we competed against them, especially in the second half, and I believe we got more out of that game than we thought.”
Thunder head to Dewsbury on Sunday.
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SHEFFIELD EAGLES coach Mark Aston will take his sixth-placed side to Cumbria for the third time in six weeks to face Whitehaven on Sunday aiming to build on the level of performance which brought a 54-4 win at Workington Town.
That was a second league victory of 2022 for his new-look side, whose series of successive away games has been stretched by a delay in the completion of their new Community Stadium.
Sheffield were due to welcome London Broncos on Good Friday, April 15, but because work was slowed by recent adverse weather conditions, their first home game will be against Widnes Vikings on Monday, May 23.
The Eagles were beaten 22-10 at Barrow in the Championship opening round and lost to Dewsbury Rams, while beating Bradford Bulls 28-14. On Saturday they scored 50 again in the Challenge Cup on their visit to North Wales Crusaders.
Aston’s side ran in nine tries through nine different scorers at Workington, where they were 30-0 up at the break, and he explained: “I was delighted for the players, because they have been working really hard.
“We had (forwards) Evan Hodgson and Liam Kirk out through illness, so had to reshuffle, but we dealt with that.
“The lads followed the game plan, our completion was well up, and our defence was solid. To prevent them scoring in the first half and limit them to just four points in the second, is something to be proud of.
“We started (props) Braddon Douglas (signed from Doncaster) and Tyler Dickinson together for the first time, and it worked well, while Bayley Liu (signed from Dewsbury) is giving us another dimension with his offloads.
“And when we needed him to, (halfback) Anthony Thackeray steadied the ship, which is what he does.
“We know what the group is capable of. The target for the next few weeks is to keep raising the bar.”
With fullback Josh Guzdek out injured, Aston has signed former Sheffield favourite Quentin Laulu-Togaga’e on loan from League 1 Keighley Cougars for a month.
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BATLEY BULLDOGS coach Craig Lingard says his side can’t afford too many off days if they are to repeat last year’s feat of making the play-offs.
The Fox’s Biscuits Stadium coach is preparing for a second successive home showdown with Featherstone Rovers following their Challenge Cup clash.
Seventh-placed Batley have narrowly lost their last two league games, against York City Knights and Bradford Bulls, whom they defeated in a play-off eliminator in September.
“The Championship is competitive all the way across the board,” said Lingard.
“There are some really good players in the competition who are Super League standard but choose to play outside it because of their lifestyle away from the game.
“We don’t have the money that some other clubs have, and maybe lack squad depth and the number of top players of our rivals.
“That means we need to be at 100 per cent or as close as we can be every single game, and we weren’t against Bradford.
“We’ve also got in some new players in key positions, and it’s probably taking them time to gel.”
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BRADFORD BULLS coach John Kear believes Jordan Lilley can really make his mark this year.
The halfback returned from a pre-season knee injury to seal his side’s 21-20 home win over Batley Bulldogs with a late field-goal.
That second victory in four league games lifted Bradford to ninth ahead of this Sunday’s trip to Workington Town.
Before that, the Bulls take on Leigh Centurions in a Challenge Cup fifth-round tie in front of the Premier Sports cameras tonight (Monday, March 14).
Kear was able to field his new halfback partnership of Lilley and former Warrington Wolves and Salford Red Devils player Dec Patton for the first time against Batley.
He also selected Leeds Rhinos winger Liam Tindall and Jarrod O’Connor as the two clubs confirmed a dual-registration partnership after previously having a more informal loan arrangement.
But Leeds product Lilley, 25, who joined Bradford in 2018, initially on loan, and signed a two-year contract extension in September, was the name on the experienced team chief’s lips.
“Having Jordan back is absolutely massive for us,” said Kear.
“From the start you could see the impact he was having. He opens things up.”
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LONDON BRONCOS coach Jermaine Coleman says a battling performance against York City Knights should put his players in good heart for Sunday’s long trek to Barrow Raiders.
While the capital side, beaten 26-24 at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, are second-bottom and yet to pick up a point after five games, Barrow have four wins from four.
But Coleman, who switched from London Skolars at the end of last season, insists the Broncos are “closer than ever” to a victory.
“It was a strong performance, but some errors hurt us and at times we weren’t disciplined enough,” he said.
“The game was a learning curve, particularly as the players on the pitch only trained together as a unit for the first time the day before.
“But our week-on-week improvement is clear to see, which I am really pleased about.
“Realistically, I believe we did enough to win the game, but York capitalised on our mistakes and scored two clinical tries.
“Our discipline wasn’t quite there, but the effort certainly was.
“The more time the spine of our team gets to spend with each other, the more dangerous we will become.”
Former Broncos chief Danny Ward has joined the coaching staff at rugby union club Rosslyn Park, whose ground London shared for a spell.
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WHITEHAVEN have big ideas about attracting new sponsors from the local small business community.
Non-executive director Grant Taylor has launched a new initiative which he believes will help the club and gain exposure for participating firms.
“Since I have been here, I have considered different ways we can offer sponsorship opportunities, usually aimed at larger businesses, to smaller West Cumbrian companies,” he explained.
“The idea is for smaller companies to join together and form a group sponsorship.
“This not only minimises the cost by sharing it out but gives companies the chance to discuss ideas and potential opportunities.”
Whitehaven host Sheffield Eagles this Sunday, having climbed to tenth in the table thanks to their 40-12 home win over Dewsbury Rams.
Jonty Gorley’s side dominated the second half after trailing 12-8 at the break.
Tom Wilkinson, Jake Bradley, Guy Graham, Alex Bishop, Callum Phillips and Karl Dixon all crossed, while Bishop landed eight goals from eight attempts.
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WIDNES VIKINGS coach Simon Finnigan says his misfiring team got what they deserved as they surrendered their 100 per cent league record at home to Barrow Raiders.
The visiting Cumbrians condemned the DCBL Stadium side, beaten 38-4 at Leigh Centurions in the fourth round of the Challenge Cup, to a second successive defeat when they won 34-24.
Now Finnigan is looking for a big improvement at York City Knights on Sunday.
Widnes were 12-0 up inside ten minutes, but he admitted: “We never had a grip defensively, so were never in control, and that means there’s a chance of the game getting away.
“Particularly in the first half, our defence was soft, and while we got a bit better, it wasn’t enough.
“We conceded 34 points, and you’re not going to win many matches when you do that.
“Barrow outplayed us in every department. They deserved what they got, we deserved what we got.”
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WORKINGTON TOWN Chairman John Pleasants believes the club’s three new directors have widened the skill set of the Derwent Park board.
Local businessmen Gary McFarland and Mark Cant and experienced sports administrator Mark McSherry were voted in at a recent board meeting.
Pleasants, who became Chairman earlier this year, said: “It’s great to welcome the three newcomers.
“They are all passionate and bring different skills that will complement those currently on the board.
“The one thing that binds us all is a passion for Workington Town and the club’s place in our community.
“I look forward to working with Gary and the two Marks on what is going to be a challenging but enjoyable season.”
Town, who were promoted through last season’s League 1 play-offs, have yet to pick up a league win in four attempts.
Chris Thorman’s side host Bradford Bulls on Sunday.
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YORK CITY KNIGHTS fullback Matty Marsh reckons the resilience James Ford’s side showed at London Broncos will stand them in good stead.
The visitors, at one stage 22-6 up, defied a home fightback to clinch a third league victory of the year, 26-24.
The play-off chasers are fifth as they prepare for Sunday’s home meeting with Widnes Vikings.
Former Hull KR man Marsh, who can also play in the halves, said: “In that situation last year, we’d probably have chucked it away.
“To have that resilience in the group to keep plugging away and fighting to the end is a good thing.
“That’s the sort of team we’re building, one that never gives up and has the energy to fight all the way.
“That’s how you get wins, even if it’s by two points.”
It was a third successive appearance at fullback for the 26-year-old, who was signed in 2019.
“It’s my preferred position but if asked to play somewhere else, I’ll do it,” he added.
York have re-signed prop Joe Porter after his return to fitness from a knee ligament injury sustained last season.
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