Excited head coach Gareth Lewis is confident Huddersfield can open their new National II North campaign in positive style.
The men from Lockwood Park get their 2015-16 campaign under way with Saturday’s home clash against newly-promoted South Leicester (3.00).
Having undergone the most demanding of pre-season programmes – including fitness sessions taken by the Huddersfield Giants Super League conditioning team and punishing runs up Huddersfield’s most notorious hills – Lewis believes his squad are in the best possible shape to mount a serious League challenge.
And with the likes of talented teenagers Lewis Workman – the son of former first-team centre Greg – and Lewis Bradley ready to be handed an opening-day chance after excelling throughout pre-season, Lewis is relishing the battles ahead.
“It’s been a tough past two-and-a-half months in pre-season and there’s a real sense that Saturday can’t come soon enough,” said Lewis.
“South Leicester come to us as something of an unknown quantity, because they’re new to this League.
“But we’ll still be treating them with the utmost respect. Knowing their coach, Ben Woods (the former Leicester Tigers forward), as well as I do, I know they’ll be well-drilled, physical and tough, so we’re going to have to be good to beat them.
“Fortunately, that’s a challenge we’ll relish.
“And I think players like Lewis Bradley and Lewis Workman will savour that challenge as much as anyone.
“They’re both still teenagers, but they’ve shown they can handle life in the first team and are comfortable at this level.
“We want them, as well as everyone else for that matter, to go out there, enjoy themselves and get us off to the best possible start.
“I also hope the sporting public of Huddersfield get behind us in good numbers and take a look at what we have to offer.
“An opening-day home fixture is always a bit special, and to attract extra fans on the day would be the icing on the cake, especially if we win!”
Huddersfield: Workman, Rawsthorne, Knight, Hodgson, Owen, Clough, Bell, Jeffrey, Hinchliffe, Battye, Purcell, Sanderson, Tamanis, Thornton, Walker, Thompson, Malthouse, Rhodes, Bradley, Hoyle, Sharpe.
