Fylde RFC ready for a Titanic clash

Second-placed Rotherham Titans’ title hopes are on the line in a National Two North clash to stir the blood (2.30pm).

The Titans have lost only to unbeaten Leeds Tykes all season but still find themselves 11 points behind.

Despite a game in hand and a home clash with the leaders to come next month, Rotherham know defeat at Fylde may well end those hopes.

It’s the sort of game Fylde boss Alex Loney thrives on, with the Tykes also still to visit the Woodlands at the back end of the season.

Fylde’s joint-head coach told The Gazette: “Rotherham are right up there and it’s a massive challenge for us.

“We’ve had great games with them over the last few seasons and, for us, it’s about getting the performance right so we can get into a position to compete and hopefully win.

“I think it’s fair to say Rotherham need the win. Leeds are in the stronger position and if you look at the form they are showing, then any slip-ups would put Rotherham under even more pressure but that’s for them to worry about.”

Neither Fylde nor Rotherham played last weekend and the home side are fresh from a splendid second half at Lymm last time out, when 33 unanswered points completed a 50-28 win.

Loney added: “We managed to turn it on at Lymm, so we’d have been pretty disappointed not to have got the result.

“Lymm were committed, with loads of threat, and showed that if we knocked off they could cut us – but we got on a roll and showed we’re a pretty good team.”

There’s less at stake for fourth-placed Fylde in terms of league standings but they would love to make inroads into Sheffield’s 10-point advantage.

Loney admitted: “We want to compete at the top and this season we aren’t really doing that, so the target now is to win as many games as we can and finish as high as possible.

“We felt that giving the lads a session off last week was the right thing to do and now we’re back into a full week to get fully prepared for Rotherham.”