Rugby league: Mayfield preview

As so often is the case these days, Mayfield feature in the game of the day as they play hosts to West Hull in the NCL Premier Division on Saturday 11 May. West Hull are second and Mayfield third, so this game has a lot riding on it.

Wests have lost two games so far this season while Mayfield have lost one but drawn two, leaving them level on points as they approach the half way stage of the season. Sam Butterworth and Steve Wood have seen their side suffer from injuries all through the season but the squad is coming together now and playing some great rugby league.

Sean Slater, Cole Connolly, Lewis Butterworth and Dakota Tolhurst are all hitting form while the half back pairing of Sam Wright and Devlin Long is the heart of the team, running the show every week. The backs are reaping the rewards from the in form forwards who have dominated their opposite numbers in most of the games they have played. Zac Baker, Joe Taira, Dave Mills and Ben Metcalfe are putting it in every game and the team is looking well balanced.

Throw in the fact that the excellent Travis Long is back in action after his injury lay off and it's all systems go. This weekend's game has all the ingredients for a classic, two great teams in top form and a long rivalry. What more could you want in a game of rugby?

The NWML side are also doing well this season, they have had ups and downs but generally they are the in form team at the moment. Like the senior team they are blend of youth and experience with each balancing the other out.

Another great performance last week saw them dispatch Wigan St Judes with an impressive 44 - 14 scoreline, courtesy of a MOM performance from Jack McConachie, which saw them through to the semi final of the NWML Trophy.

Performances like this have carried the team to the top of the NWML Division Two and although there is no game for them this week Andy Reed and Craig White are looking to maintain this form when they play next week.

To complete a hatrick of wins for the open age teams, the Mayfield Ladies made the trip to Wigan to face Ashton Bears on Sunday 5 May. An emphatic victory saw them return to Rochdale with two points in the bag and smiles on the faces of the coaching staff and players alike.

Coaches Wiggy Watmough and Dean Howarth were made up with the victory and the all round performance from the team. Wiggy said: "We were simply awesome today; to go to Wigan and come back with a clean sheet is testament to what this team is capable of.

"We were a few players down due to injury but those who turned out put in a cracking shift. I can't wait for the rest of the season."

Fixtures 11 May

• NCL Premier Division: Mayfield v West Hull, kick off 2.30pm
• Leyland Warriors v Rochdale Masters, kick off 1.00pm

Fixtures 12 May

• Mayfield Ladies v Swinton Lionesses, kick off 2.00pm