Rugby league: Mayfield preview

Photo: Shelley Wood

Mayfield U15s girls with their league trophy

Saturday 15 July sees Mayfield in the game of the day as they travel to Leeds where they face table-topping Hunslet. With only two defeats from fifteen games, Hunslet are the team to beat and are playing some fantastic, thrilling rugby league.

When these two sides met in May at the Mayfield Sports Centre it was Mayfield who took the points 10 - 6 in what was one of the best games of rugby most of the crowd had ever seen. Since that day Sam Butterworth's side have had a slight wobble, losing two games against sides they really should have beaten. Players have been out injured and away on holiday and the side struggled to keep up the standards they set early in the season.

The squad is back now, not to full strength but definitely healthier than it was. They showed this last week as they put 44 points past Leigh Miners but also allowed Miners to score 22. Butterworth and assistant Steve Wood know this isn't good enough and it won't do today.
 

Read more: Rugby league: Mayfield 44 - 22 Leigh MinersPublished: 13 July 2023

"Hunslet are a very good side and we cannot afford to make the mistakes we made last week or we will be in real trouble," said Butterworth. "We have a strong team for Saturday and having Sam Wright and Devlin Long back in the middle gives us a definite edge although we still missing a couple of players  through long term injuries. I know that we can go to Hunslet and shout a warning to the rest of the league, Mayfield are back and they are firing on all cylinders."

There are still a couple of players with knocks but the coaches are hoping they will be passed fit for the game, there is no doubt that this will be one tough game and the reality is that no one has has gone to Hunslet's ground and won this season. But these are the games players and coaches live for, if you want to be the best you've got to beat the best and this on Saturday afternoon, Mayfield are hoping to live up to that cry.

Meanwhile in the NWML Mayfield are are back on the road. Last week saw the at high flying Roose Pioneers up in Barrow where Andy Reed's lads pulled of a famous 10 - 18 victory in a thrilling game that saw the emergence of of a star of the future as young Tyler White. He played the game of his life at fullback pulling off several try saving tackles to see to it that his side took the spoils. Saturday sees them travel down the East Lancs Road to face Leigh Miners. Miners are just a couple of places above Mayfield and are definitely beatable. Reed said: "The lads were superb last week and at last played the rugby I have been telling them they are capable of. They were truly awesome at Roose and I will be asking for more of the same this afternoon. Tyler White had a great game as did Sam Hilton and old head Rob Kershaw was in the middle steadying the ship. If we can repeat that level of performance at Leigh we will be travelling back with smiles on our faces."

Also last week Mayfield U15 girls beat a very good Golborne side to win the league title in only their second season, which is a massive achievement. The players and the coaches deserve a huge well done for what they done both on and off the field. Club chairman Neil Ramsden said: "These girls are an absolute credit to themselves but also to their club and to rugby league. To win the league in your second season is just phenomenal and I want this team to know that the whole of this club, their club, is proud of them, we are Mayfield."

Fixtures Saturday 15 July 2023

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