THE league might have a new name, but it was business as usual for WEST HULL.

Last year’s National Conference title winners started what is effectively the defence of their trophy following the rebranding of the men’s amateur game under the Rugby Football League’s National Community Rugby League initiative with an ultimately comfortable home victory over WATH BROW HORNETS on the opening day of the NATIONAL LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION.

The Green and Golds, who won the 2025 title from third spot – with Hornets closing at eighth and therefore missing out on the play-offs – owed their 44-26 victory to two players in particular. 

Eligh Wilkinson totalled 28 points from five tries and four goals, while Jack Sanderson scored a hat-trick. Josh Wood, meanwhile, grabbed the home side’s other touchdown. 

Wath Brow, who lost 34-6 in Hull last season and 20-14 in Cumbria, opened promisingly, taking the lead in the fourth minute with a Sam Curwen try which Reuben Butterworth improved.

Wests were 14-6 ahead by the half-hour however, courtesy of Sanderson’s first two scores and a try and a conversion by Wilkinson. 

Morgan McCourt replied for Wath Brow, but the hosts went in at the break 18-10 ahead, Wilkinson having crossed for a second time.

Wood nipped in a couple of minutes after the restart, and Sanderson’s and Wilkinson’s hat-trick scores quickly followed.

Curwen notched his second try for Hornets as the contest headed into the final quarter – converting his own score – before Wilkinson completed his nap-hand and landed his fourth goal.

Wath Brow had the better of the last five minutes with a couple of unanswered tries, by McCourt and Jamie McAllister, with Curwen adding his second goal, but there was no questioning West Hull’s superiority on the day. 

SIDDAL were, last year, the NCL’s Minor Premiers for the second successive season but, also for the second successive time, missed out in the Grand Final, an 8-0 defeat at the hands of West Hull following the 2024 reverse against Hunslet ARLFC.

The Halifax outfit got off to a losing start under the new regime, missing out 20-16 to visitors WEST BOWLING, who finished second in the table last time. 

Wests, who edged an 11-10 success at Siddal last season (losing 38-22 in Bradford) looked destined for defeat in the early stages after the hosts’ Henry Turner had helped himself to tries on, respectively, the second and seventeenth minutes.

Harvey Williams converted the first, to help establish a 10-0 lead, but the hosts were unable to kick on prior to the interval.

Instead, Bowling opened their account with a try, just before half-time, for Andrew Gabriel.

That score seemed to inspire the visitors, who levelled nine minutes after the resumption through Owen Simpson’s touchdown and Harry Williams’ goal.

It stayed at 10-10 until 13 minutes from the end when – despite having had Oliver Bartle sinbinned six minutes earlier for a high tackle – Wests went in front for the first time with Lewis Taylor’s try and Harry Williams’ second goal.

The lead was stretched to eight points when Harry Williams booted a penalty-goal with six minutes remaining.

And although Siddal reduced the arrears to only two points when Jamie Greenwood popped over with a couple of minutes left and Harvey Williams improved, Bowling closed on a high with a last-gasp penalty-goal by Harry Williams.

HUNSLET ARLFC, who missed out on last year’s play-offs after having retained the NCL title twelve months earlier, have publicly expressed their title ambitions and got off to an impressive winning start with a 30-4 verdict at LOCK LANE.

The Castleford outfit were, in fact, condemned to relegation in 2025 but were given an unexpected reprieve when the RFL agreed to give promoted Ince Rose Bridge dispensation to drop into the Conference North West. 

Lock Lane showed enough signs against Hunslet ARLFC that they are worthy of retaining their top-flight status, although the hosts had to wait until four minutes from time – by which stage the south Leeds side were 30-0 up – before posting their solitary try, by Rob Jowett. 

Hunslet ARLFC, who had lost 30-6 in Castleford in 2025 (although prevailing 30-12 on their own patch) had to wait until the half-hour approached before opening their account.

But touchdowns on 26 and 29 minutes for, respectively, Ben Shulver and former Hunslet threequarter Alfie Goddard, both converted by Harry Shackleton, helped establish a 12-0 interval lead. 

Three more tries followed by the hour, with Goddard powering over and livewire winger Tyler Dargan bagging a brace, the second of which Shackleton improved.

The visitors closed their account when Harry Dodd bustled in as the game entered the final quarter.

Ambitious WATERHEAD WARRIORS, who finished fourth in the 2025 NCL table, laid down a real marker for 2026 with a 32-10 success at ROCHDALE MAYFIELD, who had fetched up at sixth.

The Warriors, who completed the double over Mayfield last time (winning 26-10 in Rochdale and 36-18 in Oldham) opened explosively and were 20-0 ahead as the interval beckoned.

Ciaran Dean set the agenda in the second minute and Harrison Dodd followed suit five minutes later, Vincent Arthur adding a goal.

Waterhead’s Matthew Fletcher powered over on 28 minutes but, almost at the restart, blotted his copy book by being red carded for alleged punching.

Fletcher’s teammates, however, made light of their numerical disadvantage, quickly posting a try and a goal by Liam Aspin. 

Mayfield went in at the break 20-4 behind, thanks to an Ieuan Higgs touchdown, and there were signs that a recovery was possible when Callum Burn crossed on 53 minutes, Cole Connolly adding the extras. 

But twelve-man Waterhead closed in style with tries in the last nine minutes for Niall Dean and, near the end, Adam Robinson, both of which Dodd converted.

The NCL’s 2025 Division One champions, WIGAN ST JUDES, lost 36-12 at THATTO HEATH CRUSADERS.

Thatto, who finished fifth last season, opened in impressive fashion, carving out a 14-0 lead midway through the opening period with the help of tries by Ryan Forshaw and Lewis Foster.

Ryan Houghton, who improved both scores, landed a penalty between times, before Judes got their challenge in motion, six minutes before the break, with Danny Fallon’s conversion of Ryan Duffy’s touchdown.

The Heath, however, immediately responded through Jamie Tracey, Houghton’s goal forging a 20-6 half-time buffer. 

Judes were very much back in the frame six minutes after the restart, Dante Morley-Samuels surging through and Fallon again adding the extras. 

But that score proved to be the visitors’ last. Thatto, by contrast, closed with three tries, with Sean Leicester notching the first and, on 78 minutes, the last.

The other went to Liam Kenyon, while Houghton added the last two of his six goals.

The sinbinning of Jamaine Ruan on the hour for a late challenge proved pivotal in the DIVISION ONE fixture between STANNINGLEY and DEWSBURY CELTIC.

Stanningley were 14-12 ahead at the time, having recovered from 12-4 adrift at the break, but Celtic took control in a 22-18 triumph with a Josh Frain try which Jordan Hirst converted before adding two penalty-goals in a five-kick haul.

The home side hit back two minutes from time with their fourth try – by Alfie Peach – but it wasn’t enough against visitors who had only mustered three touchdowns, Hirst and Ethan Parkinson having crossed in response to Bailey Harman’s opener.

Logan Temple and Luke Townend had nipped over – Connor Aveyard adding a goal – in Stanningley’s second half rally. 

Elsewhere, a try four minutes from time by George Woodcock sealed a 26-18 win for DEWSBURY MOOR MAROONS over SHAW CROSS SHARKS.

The Sharks nosed in front on 19 minutes, Evan Stephenson converting Ben Land’s try. 

The Maroons blasted back with touchdowns for Aiden Ineson, Matthew Race, Aaron James and Woodcock – the latter adding three goals – to forge a 22-6 interval lead. 

Shaw Cross responded with touchdowns by the hour for Seb Jeffers and Stephenson, whose two conversions pegged the hosts back to four points. But that man Woodcock saw the Moor home.

NATIONAL LEAGUES

PREMIER DIVISION: Lock Lane 4 Hunslet ARLFC 30; Rochdale Mayfield 10 Waterhead Warriors 32; Siddal 16 West Bowling 20; Thatto Heath Crusaders 36 Wigan St Judes 12; West Hull 44 Wath Brow Hornets 26; York Acorn 32 Heworth 6.

DIVISION ONE: Dewsbury Moor Maroons 26 Shaw Cross Sharks 18; East Leeds 18 Oulton Raiders 19 ; Egremont Rangers 26 Kells 18; Leigh Miners Rangers 28 Pilkington Recs 18; Stanningley 18 Dewsbury Celtic 22; Wigan St Patricks 24 Oldham St Annes 20.

CONFERENCE REGIONS

CUMBRIA CONFERENCE: Barrow Island 14 Hensingham 17; Distington 12 Ellenborough Rangers 28; Hindpool Tigers 30 Ulverston 24; Millom 16 Dalton 26; Seaton Rangers 22 Maryport 28.

NORTH WEST CONFERENCE: Blackbrook 14 Clock Face Miners 26 (played Friday); Ince Rose Bridge 20 Orrell St James 20; Saddleworth Rangers 18 Ashton Bears 16; Woolston Rovers 20 Crosfields 16.

YORKSHIRE A CONFERENCE: Bradford Dudley Hill 4 Drighlington 6; Keighley Albion 66 King Cross Park 0; Moldgreen 42 Mirfield Spartans 10; Myton Warriors 22 Beverley 48; Stanley Rangers 18 Thornhill Trojans 16.

YORKSHIRE B CONFERENCE: Fryston Warriors 28 Siddal Academy 6; Hull Dockers 0 Skirlaugh 32; Kippax Welfare 0 Featherstone Lions 36; Newsome Panthers 28 Bentley 16; Milford 12 Normanton Knights 18.

REGIONS

NORTH WEST MEN’S LEAGUE

PREMIER DIVISION: Hindley Stags 70 Heysham Atoms 10; Chorley Panthers 12 Folly Lane 14; Halton Farnworth Hornets 18 Wigan St Judes 16; Shevington Sharks 42 Westhoughton Lions 4; Waterhead Warriors A 10 West Bank Bears 32.

DIVISION ONE: Bank Quay Bulls 24 Garswood Stags 58; Newton Storm 24 Rochdale Mayfield A 0; Runcorn Highfield 32 Golborne Parkside 24; Spring View 0 Salford City Roosters 20; Wigan St Cuthberts 28 Leigh Miners Rangers A 4.

DIVISION TWO: Blackpool Scorpions 12 Thatto Heath Crusaders Academy 72; Clock Face Miners A 6 Saddleworth Rangers A 10; Latchford Albion Giants v Portico Vine -nr; Oldham St Annes A 60 Liverpool Lizards 6; Orrell St James A 38 Ashton Bears A 0.