BRADFORD & Bingley get their Counties One Yorkshire season underway tomorrow, looking to end an extraordinary run which has seen them fail to win a league game since February 2020.
But last season’s relegation is likely to benefit them, and they are hopeful of getting that monkey off their back soon.
Speaking to the T&A ahead of the Wagon Laners’ opener at home to Old Rishworthian tomorrow, head coach Carl Paterson said: “I think this is the right level for us.
“We struggled a little last year but learned a lot, and we’re looking forward to the season starting and seeing what happens.
“Our preparation this summer has gone well and not only have we made a couple of additions on the playing front, we’ve brought in a couple of coaches too.
“We’ve got an old head back in Robin Kay to help with the players’ fitness and they’ve bought into his methods.”
In terms of what we can expect from B&B this season, Paterson said: “We’ve given the players two or three goals we feel are achievable, getting that first win under our belts being one of them.
“If we keep working hard, we’ll hit those targets and hopefully we’ll get that winning feeling back.”
With last season’s captain Harry Jeffrey having left the club, Paterson is thrilled to have appointed Luke Spauls as skipper, with Corey Spencer second in command.
The head coach said: “Luke and Corey were part of the leadership group last term and with Harry having now gone to Morley, it was a natural progression for the pair of them.
“I didn’t want to disrupt that leadership group, but I wanted to make it bigger, so they’ve been joined in that by Jim Nicholas and Ricky Palacio.
“That group is built to help Luke with captaining the side and they all bring their different characters to the table.
“I like to have four or five lads in there with their opinions to help us come up with a plan.”
Having dropped down from Regional Two North East last term, B&B will spend this season much closer to home, and have derbies with Keighley and Bradford Salem.
Paterson said: “That all adds to the excitement of it.
“Local rugby is nice to have and a derby adds a bit more spice.
“We’ll enjoy those derbies, but it’s just another game, we’re not just playing those two this season.
“The furthest we’ll have to go is Hullensians and Wensleydale anyway, the rest of the teams are all around this area.”
That includes tomorrow’s opponents from Halifax, Old Rishworthian, with Paterson confirming: “We’ll have a couple of lads out injured.
“We also have a couple that are away, as this is the first time I can remember us starting before the end of the school holidays.
“Regardless we’re really looking forward to the game this weekend.”
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