Hornets preview

Photo: Jackie Meredith

Hornets players celebrate the win against Dewsbury Rams

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Rochdale Hornets head to Odsal on Sunday as Championship table toppers, looking to widen the gap between themselves and basement club Bradford Bulls.

During the off-season the Bulls were in financial turmoil and subsequently went into liquidation, before re-forming in time for the beginning of the season, though they were handed a 12-point deduction.

That means there is a 14 point gap between the two clubs going into this weekend’s clash, after Hornets dismantled Dewsbury Rams in their season opener at the Crown Oil Arena.

Hornets were electric in their 46-0 win over the Rams, as they put together some brilliant free-flowing rugby to run in eight unanswered tries.

There was a first-half brace for hooker Ben Moores, with Samir Tahraoui and Danny Yates scoring either side of his double, while Jo Taira, Rob Massam, Lewis Galbraith and Ryan Maneely found their way over in the second half.

Lewis Palfrey captained the side for the first time after his switch from Oldham in pre-season, and on his competitive debut added seven goals.

Head coach Alan Kilshaw was delighted with the result and admitted that he would have taken any score line prior to kick-off, as long as it resulted in a Hornets win.

He said: “I’d have taken 6-0 or 7-6 when I woke up on Sunday morning, but it was an incredible performance that sometimes you get with promoted sides.

“We had the momentum and we scored some great tries and played some good stuff. We had a fast ruck and it was a dry day so a lot of things went our way.

“We knew they would be a little disjointed having brought in four players so we wanted to take advantage of that and I thought we did.

“The nil is really pleasing because we didn’t nil anyone in League One last year, so to nil Dewsbury in round one, who are a good side in their own right, is very pleasing.”

Seven debutants played, including Danny Bridge and man-of-the-match Garry Middlehurst, who are both in their second spell for the club.

Kilshaw was happy with how the new faces have settled in and had praise for one player who missed out on making the 17 on the day. He said: “I think we have gelled well. There’s going to be challenges down the track, we’re going to get tested and we know that mentally and physically, but I thought as a group we were very good.

“All 18 of the lads were great, Jack Holmes was really unlucky not to play and his attitude was first-class. We had a lot of new lads in there but I think they settled really well.

“We’ve been working hard in training and it is hard work that’s got us here and we’ve got to continue to work hard, it’s only round one and there’s some tough challenges ahead.

“I’m sure when we play Dewsbury again it will be a really tough game. We won’t get carried away but I’m pleased with all 18 of the lads.”

Bradford have had a torrid time off the field and were comfortably beaten by Hull KR at Craven Park last week, with the title favourites winning 54-24.

Bradford will have taken a lot of positives from the game though, and the Hornets boss believes it will be a tough trip to make on Sunday.

He said: “It’s going to be a tough game with a hostile environment and it’s going to be a strange one.

“It’s their first game back at Odsal since all the off-season drama for Bradford, so they will turn up and the fans will be behind them.

“We don’t want to be that story, we don’t want to be the first team Bradford beat. We know we’re going to have to work hard to go there and win.

“They’re starting behind but they’re only going to get better week in week out, but so are we.”