Head coach Alan Kilshaw is reminding his players, ahead of the promotion-chasers’ Betfred League 1 fixture at Midlands Hurricanes on Sunday, of the “duty to perform” in front of what is again likely to be a sizeable contingent of supporters.
Fans will be travelling in numbers to Derby RUFC for a fixture that, if the Parksiders win it, will propel the south Leeds outfit, who have won their last three games in impressive style, into second place in the table.
Mindful of the need to keep players fresh, and to rotate his squad, ‘Killer’ is resting Jimmy Watson and Michael Knowles. Sean Croston and Nathan Newbound have joined Cornwall on loan, while Dan McGrath is, similarly, temporarily with Huddersfield Giants Reserves. Jordan Bull, meanwhile, will captain England Universities in the Student Four Nations tournament in Wales, while Nathan Conroy is at a wedding.
The Parksiders boss said: “It’s one of those games you look at and know it’s going to be hard. This week is no different, the Hurricanes have had a change in playing style and have been getting tougher every week through different personnel and through changes in what they are been asked to do.
“For us, it’s about backing up the effort against Doncaster last Sunday. We are focussed on what it takes to win, on what we need to do in terms of our preparation and sacrifices prior to the game, and on the efforts that are needed for us to be at our best.”
He added: “We have made a couple of changes, to look after a couple of blokes to keep them fresh. But we have a strong and well-connected squad and the 17 we put out this week are as strong as in the previous weeks.
“We feel the buzz around the club at the moment, and we know there are a lot of supporters travelling on Sunday. It’s our privilege to represent that commitment – and we are very aware of our duty to perform, as a reward for such loyalty being shown when we are living in such hard times.”
Hunslet (at Midlands Hurricanes, Sunday, 3.00pm). From: Jack Render, Adam Ryder, Joe Burton, Harvey Hallas, Sam Hallas, Steve Crossley, Josh Jordan-Roberts, Aaron York, Danny Barcoe, Jordan Syme, Lewis Wray, Liam Carr, Brad Wheeler, Alfie Goddard, Spencer Darley, Matty Beharrell, Marcus Green, Myles Lawford, Oli Burton, Frazer Stroud, Jake Maizen.
