Rugby League: Mayfield preview

Rob Kershaw will try and impose his vast experience on the Mayfield side at Pilks

After what can only be described as a disappointing start to the season – winning two games and losing two – coaches Sam Butterworth and Steve Wood take their Mayfield side to Pilkington Recs in St Helen's on Saturday 19 June for what will no doubt be their toughest test so far.

Last weeks home defeat to Oldham St Annes was the low point of the campaign so far and raised many questions. Hopefully some of those questions will be answered this weekend. Overall last week, indiscipline contributed massively to the defeat with a penalty count of 18 to 2 and you cannot compete at rugby league with stats like that.

The amount of lost field position, extra work and pressure that comes with each misdemeanour cannot be ignored 18 penalties means 18 extra sets of defence and 18 more opportunities for the opposition to put points on the board.

The coaches have worked the players hard this week knowing that they need to pick up their game and improve their discipline if they are to have any chance of coming away from Pilkingtons with anything. Pilks are a good side, in the NCL Premier Division with Mayfield and they have won two of their three outings so far. Mayfield have a young side again and are possibly missing a couple of key players as Si Moore and Andy Taylor struggle with injuries picked up in last week's game.

On the positive side it has been a good week in training and some of the younger players have started to come of age with some sterling performances, notably last week Harry Macdonald showed he is really maturing quickly. Cole Connolly and Jackson Kelly also impressed but more will be required this week with all 17 players expected to do their best and put in a full eighty minutes work. If they do that and improve the discipline there is no reason that they cant take the points from this game.

Fixture 19 June 2021

National Conference League: Pilkington Recs v Mayfield - 2.30pm kick off