WATERHEAD COACH Chris Hough is delighted with the progress his new-look side has made in his short time at the Peach Road club.
That has been reflected by improved results in Kingstone Press Cider National Conference League, Division Two over the last month which has seen Waterhead defeat Stanningley and Castleford Panthers as well as almost registering a shock victory against top-of-the-table Kells.
Hough said: “We gave Kells a 28-0 start before scoring three quick tries which gave us belief. We got it back to 44-28 with eight minutes left, but just couldn’t get another score.
“How close we came to beating Kells gave us confidence knowing that if we play to that level we will blow other teams apart which is what we did in our next match against Panthers who we beat 40-12.”
Waterhead have won three of their eight league matches so far to find themselves eighth in the 12-strong division.
Hough is encouraged by his team’s performances as seen by the quality of the rugby they are playing in what has been a season of transition.
He explained: “We lost a number of players at the start of the season. Some left to join Saddleworth Rangers and St Anne’s while several others retirede.
“The nucleus of the side is Waterhead lads and they are buying into what I am trying to do and hopefully we will go from strength to strength.”
Hough has brought in a number of players from Rugby Union to strengthen his squad including Jamie Mayall from Blackburn RUFC who has been a revelation at half back.
Other stand out performers have included Waterhead stalwart Darren Nixon who has been switched by Hough from centre to second row, recently acquired former Oldham Roughyeds full-back/half back Andy Gorey who had been at Hollinwood and hooker Reece Bradshaw who has stepped up from the under-18’s.
Waterhead don’t have a fixture this weekend which Hough says will help heal “broken bodies” in readiness for the mouth-watering local derby at St Annes on Saturday, May 11.
Meanwhile, injuries and absences have hampered SADDLEWORTH RANGERS as they picked up just two points in April in the National Conference League, Division One.
They beat Dewsbury Celtic 40-14 to start the month well but then lost 78-0 away to Oulton Raiders before a narrow 36-30 defeat at home to Normanton Knights.
Coach Shane Tupaea said: “We were beaten in the last play of the game against Normanton Knights which was devastating.
“We gave them a bit of a head start as we didn’t start very well. We were very lethargic and defensively we were poor but once we got going we played some really attractive rugby.
“The week before we had nine players missing because it was Easter – I don’t know why they play that weekend. But our opponents had a full team and played well so deserved the win.”
He added: “We’ve got lots of great players but they are all props. We need work rates players, like Ian Sinfield and Adam Walker, but they are out through injury.
“We’ve got Ashley Webb coming back this weekend after a year in Australia so that will be a big boost, and Michael Coates is also back soon.”
Rangers currently sit ninth in the division and next face Ince Rose Bridge, York Acorn and Eccles, who all sit nearby in the table.
Tupaea added: “We’ve some tough games coming up and it’s always difficult to go to Eccles.
“If we around half way going into the second round then I think we can push for a place in the play offs but if will be difficult as so many other teams are playing well.
“I was guilty of getting ideas above my station and we’ve learned the hard way the importance of having a steady team.”
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