Mayfield take on Hornets in pre-season friendly

The Rochdale Mayfield coaching team of Matt Calland and Sam Butterworth have been looking for quality opposition who have an open date and may be willing to travel to the Mayfield Sports Centre to play a pre-season friendly. Well they’ve certainly come up trumps as Rochdale Hornets are the visitors this afternoon.

After negotiations between the clubs Hornets coach John Stankovich has agreed to fetch his squad for the run out and a fantastic afternoon of rugby league is on offer.

“This game is the ideal preparation for us in readiness for next weeks challenge cup tie against the University of Gloucestershire” said Calland, “we’ve trained hard and feel we can compete with the best, today’s outing will give us the opportunity to put into practice what we have gone through on the training pitch. We are hopeful that hard running forward Saqib Murtza will have rejoined us in time for the game he is a great asset to the club and well respected throughout the game”.

Mayfield have a great pack with the likes of Ben Simpson, Joe Quanici and Aiden Gleeson being lead around the park by arguably the best hooker in the league, Todd O’Brien.

The backs are also fired up and hoping to capitalise on the hard work of forwards, with Ieuan Higgs, John Foy, Kristian Duffy and Rob Kershaw all able to run in tries from anywhere.

Mayfield Chairman Simon Howe is relishing the chance to take on the town’s professional team.

“Hornets have a great pedigree and we respect that, this game is a yard stick for us Matt and Sam have worked the lads hard through the close season and this is an extension of that training, an upping of the intensity if you like. We will be looking to try a few things and move some of the players about positionally. Hopefully youngsters Jack Ashworth and Jake Boardman will be given debuts both these lads have quality in abundance and should slot into the team perfectly. At the end of the day the result is immaterial but this is a local derby and nobody goes out to lose in a derby game.”

Squad: Ieuan Higgs, Rob Kershaw, Matt Calland, Si Moore, Komai Nuamatula, Kristian Duffy, John Foy, Ian Sampson, Eric Johnson, Ben Butterworth, Jack Ashworth, Sam Butterworth, Ben Simpson, Saqib Murtza, Aiden Gleeson, Todd O,Brien, Joe Quanici, Mark Biggins, Sean Snape, Andy Lee, Jake Boardman.