MARK Aston was a key protagonist when Sheffield Eagles sprang the biggest Challenge Cup shock of all time with victory over Wigan in the 1998 final.

The former scrum-half, named man-of the-match on that historic afternoon, is now chief executive and coach of the Championship part-timers.

Aston has been in charge of the Eagles since 1999 and made them a force to be reckoned with – successive Grand Final wins in 2012 and 2013 are testament to that.

Among his staff is former Bulls stalwart Jamie Langley, who joined the club as a player-coach following one season at Hull KR.

The 31-year-old, who combines his role with working as a personal trainer, is aiming to be fit for the start of the season after a knee injury.

Langley said: “It has been a big culture change after being full-time for the best part of 14 years.

“When you’re full-time, you’re training every day pretty much and, although you get a bit of spare time, it’s usually spent recovering.

“When you switch to part-time, you’re training three evenings a week and sometimes on a Saturday as well.

“Some of these lads are up at 6am and they’re grafting all day and have to go straight to training for a couple of hours.

“They’ll probably get home at 9.30pm and they will do this three times a week – some teams do it more.

“I’ve got a new-found respect for lads who play part-time rugby, that’s for sure. It makes time-management during training so important.”

This is where Aston, universally known as ‘Tubbs’, comes into his own, according to Langley.

He explained: “Tubbs’ cv speaks for itself and the lads love and respect him, so he must be doing something right.

“You’ve got to manage the lads really well when they have been at work all day.

“They don’t get much free time, they don’t get to see their families much, so the man-management side of things is key at part-time level.”

How is Langley enjoying his own role at the club?

“I’m still going through the stages of rehab on my knee but I’m doing a lot of coaching as well,” he said.

“It’s been great for me to come on board and throw a few ideas into the mix.

“I’ve gained a lot of experience over the years and I feel like I can bring things to the table and help out.

“The lads seem really responsive and keen to learn as well.

“Keith Senior is here and his playing career speaks for itself and he’s a very good coach too.

"He communicates with the players really well and the lads have been very receptive to him.

“Dave Larder was a seasoned Championship player with Sheffield and Halifax, so there is a wealth of knowledge and experience for the lads to exploit.”

Sheffield will play their home games at Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium next season ahead of a move to a new state-of-the-art community stadium in the Olympic Legacy Park in 2016.

The club have secured a significant investment to help fund the building of the stadium, which will feature a high quality synthetic pitch, an impressive main stand, a 50-bed hotel and catering and hospitality areas.

Langley said: “In the next couple of years they will be in a brand new stadium with new facilities, so it’s going to be a very exciting time and an exceptional set-up to be working within.

“It’s a great opportunity for someone like me to get on the ladder.

“It’s all about building relationships, friendships and networks so that when opportunities come up, your reputation holds you in good stead.”

Langley accepts that full-time clubs Bradford, London and Leigh will have a massive advantage over the rest of the Championship next season.

But he added: “We’ve brought in a couple of forwards this year who have come over from Australia and have been in the system at some top NRL clubs.

“They come with plenty of pedigree and are in their early to mid-twenties, so their best rugby is ahead of them, and Sheffield’s backline has always been strong.

“Some of these lads have been offered Super League contracts before but have turned them down.

“We’ve got a really good balance and there is no reason why we can’t be in the mix for the top four.”