Winning Promotion next year will be tougher than the last time Hunslet Hawks achieved the feat, coach Barry Eaton reckons.

Hawks have dropped to Kingstone Press League One for the second time in three seasons after finishing second from bottom in the Championship.

Eaton’s men won the Championship One Grand Final last year, following a second-place finish on the table, but Eaton warned: “It is going to be tough next season, that’s for sure, in terms of the teams we are competing against. Eight or nine teams in League One are really, really competitive. There’s some good sides in there and it will be a tougher proposition than last year, when there were three or four in the mix.”

Hawks have already re-signed several key members of this year’s squad and Eaton said: “Nearly everybody has been spoken to now regarding next season.

“Some players potentially will leave and there will be some coming in, that’s natural, but we would like to keep the bulk of the squad.”

Hawks centre Danny Maun has confirmed his retirement following the 60-12 defeat at his former club Batley Bulldogs two days ago. Eaton said: “It was a flat performance, but I hope it doesn’t detract from the effort put in this year – and the good stuff we’ve played at times.”

Article courtesy of the Yorkshire Evening Post