DONCASTER forward Tyla Hepi is looking forward to his club’s homecoming against Batley on Sunday.
But the versatile 32-year-old reckons a run of five successive away games which ended with a win at Widnes last Sunday has strengthened squad unity ahead of the big run-in.
The clash with Batley is one of six engagements at the Eco-Power Stadium, where maintenance work has been taking place, out of the club’s eight remaining regular-season fixtures.
Ground-share partners Doncaster Rovers are eagerly awaiting the start of the new football campaign next month, having won promotion to the third-tier League One.
And the Dons are eyeing a place in the play-offs in their second season since coming up from Rugby League’s level three.
The win at Widnes was a ninth league win of this year and they sit eighth in the table.
But with an experienced squad and entertaining Papua New Guinean strike stars in Watson Boas and Edene Gebbie, Hepi believes a top-six spot is within their grasp.
After travel problems when they went to Toulouse due to a strike by air traffic controllers, road congestion meant a later-than-planned arrival at the Kuflink Stadium in Northfleet, Kent, to where the Broncos had taken a second game because of pitch maintenance work at their usual Wimbledon base.
“It was all a bit rushed in terms of the final preparations, but credit to the boys because we coped with it okay,” he explained.
“We’d pushed Toulouse (in a 12-6 loss) and while the first half was even, we stayed composed, stuck to the plan, and got the win.
“All the travelling has been tough, and we’re all ready for a home match for a change, but I think it’s helped us bond even more, and we’re enjoying being around each other as well as playing rugby.”