Rugby league: Mayfield preview

Photo: Ian Neild

Sam Wright is one of the players facing a fitness test this week

After last week's win at Heworth and a shock defeat for Hunslet at struggling West Bowling, Mayfield climbed to third in the NCL Premier Division. This weekend sees them on the road again with the long trip to Whitehaven to face Egremont Rangers.

Egremont have lost their last five games conceding over 200 points in the process. But it's crunch time now for the bottom clubs, with just four points separating the bottom six, it's still all to play for and the team that can come up with the goods this week will do itself no end of favours.

Last week's victory was particularly pleasing for Mayfield, with six lads playing who could still be playing youth rugby and all six giving their all for their club, testament to the superb youth set up at Mayfield and a sign that this club will continue to go from strength to strength. Coach Sam Butterworth said he was pleased with last week's win considering the amount of players he had missing.

Sam Wright and James McDaid will face fitness tests before Butterworth announces his squad but he is resigned to the fact that his side picked up a couple more knocks and as always at this time of year there are players on holiday. So it's backs to the wall yet again this week.

The NWML side entertain long standing rivals Leigh Miners at the Mayfield Sports Centre on Saturday. Miners are second from bottom in the league table but that never makes a difference as these two sides go head to head.

Last week saw Mayfield push undefeated league leaders Hindpool Tigers all the way before finally losing out 8 - 14. This was a great performance from the lads considering they had lost lads to the first team and had to rejuggle the side at the last minute. Andy Reid and Craig White will be looking for the same sort of effort from their team this weekend as they look to consolidate a top four spot.

Fixtures 3 August 2024

• NCL Premier Division: Egremont v Mayfield, 2.30pm kick off
• NWML Division 2: Mayfield v Leigh Miners, 2.30pm kick off