The RFU's decision to impose a nationwide delay to the season denies West the opportunity to start with two home games - they would have been against newboys Novos and Keswick. Instead the opening league game will be at Percy Park on Saturday September 26th.
Fortunately, both the planned warm-up games have been rearranged with a trip to Old Brods in Halifax next week - a side tipped to be up at the top of our equivalent Regional 2 league in Yorkshire.
Northern arrive to continue their preparation for life in the leauge above after being very worthy winners of Regional 2 North last season. They played host to Morpeth in a friendly last week - running out 34-7 winners at McCracken Park.
West's first serious run-out resulted in a 55-19 win against Darlington -a game in which both clubs used a lot of players. With games for both the Firsts and the Stags/Bucks this week's encounters will no doubt see a step-up in intensity.
Top points scorer Jobe Roxby will be having his first game of the season while Jake Linighan, Will Corbett, Adam Hutchinson, Isaac Robinson and Max Tenannt are all still enjoying the long hot summer.
|
Firsts Squad v Northern Kick off 3.00 |
Stags/Bucks@ Consett Kick off 3.00 |
| Matt Siddle | Louis Weatherall-Smith |
| Sam Knight | Henry Todd |
| Ollie Connolly | Will Hilditch |
| Peter Youll | Greg Edwards |
| Jacob Wood | Tyler Nelson |
| Jobe Roxby | Max Tobin |
| Kyle Jamieson | Liam Larkin |
| Joe Cholmondeley | Jack Atkinson |
| Matt Baggs | Aaron Kemp |
| Liam Pennick | Ben Stephenson |
| Andrew Rollins | Fraser Henderson |
| Hayden Hodgson | Liam Liston |
| Elliott Reed | Tom Leadbeater |
| Aaron Muir | Jonny Wray |
| Louis Ward | Jack Mulcahy |
| Charlie Kay | James Cook |
| Aidan Jackson-Smith | Odin Thorpe |
| Chris Atkins | Leo Johnston |
| Ryan Shires |