SIDDAL (AWAY)
Leigh Miners travel to Halifax on Saturday to take on Siddal in the first round of the NCL Kingstone Press Cider Premier Division playoffs (elimination playoff), Kick off 2pm at Reactiv Park.
Miners go into Saturday’s game on the back of a 28-10 home defeat last weekend against Champions West Hull, that defeat ruining any chances of at least one home playoff tie as they slipped down to finish the regular season in sixth. Finishing sixth now means if Miners are to make the grand final at Widnes in mid November they will certainly have to do it the hard way by playing away from home for the next three weekends. There is definitely though no looking any further ahead than this Saturday and Siddal in the Twist Lane camp as they know they will have to up there performance massively to the one they produced last weekend in the second half if they are to pick up what will be a surprise result, and progress into the next round.
Speaking about last weeks defeat against West Hull, Miners utility man Tom Farrimond said “I felt as if we controlled the first half and taking away the early error they never troubled us, but then in the second half we surrendered too much ball and more importantly field position, and when you aren’t making a top side like west hull defend full sets for they will punish you. Once you get into that cycle of not completing then conceding then straying off your gameplan chasing the game, which causes more incompletions and so on, it becomes a runaway train, very similar to wath brow away earlier this year.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s playoff clash Farrimond added “This weekend we go to, in my opinion, the toughest place to go and come away with the win. Siddal play their own brand very well on their own pitch, which is compact and doesn’t necessarily suit our style. The only way we will get anything from the game is if the squad which is picked on the day are prepared to go and give 100%. It’s trap door rugby now so we need to be prepared to do whatever’s necessary to grind out a win. If we do get through this week there’s nobody we should fear, if we turn up on the day, from 1-17, we can beat anyone who’s left in the competition.”
Coaches Allan Coleman and Paul Whitworth will make one change from the West Hull defeat with Ellis Grimes coming in for youngster Matty Wilkinson who is playing for Lancashire u19s on Sunday.
Speaking about last week coach Allan Coleman said “I thought in the first half we was really good but in the second half struggled keep ball, our completion was low and that cost us.” Ahead of the playoffs Coleman added “It’s now cup rugby, we have to be smarter and complete better but we have nothing to lose, I’m really confident of winning and I feel on our day were the best side in the comp, but we have to be at our best and make were ready for the challenge.”
Siddal finished the regular season with back to back victories against Wigan St Pats (40-28) and Hunslet Warriors (14-4) to finish the season in third place. Victory against Miners on Saturday would give them another home tie next weekend and they will be confident of having that after already beating Miners 20-4 at home a couple of months ago, The last playoff meeting between the two sides was in 2010 when Siddal beat Miners 28-14 in the final eliminator.
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