Fylde RFC ready for fresh start in revamped league

Fylde open the National Two North campaign with most of the squad which finished fifth last season still in place and boosted by a handful of new arrivals.

They warmed up with a 50-29 home win over Blackburn and a 34-14 defeat at Sale FC, and now hope to hit the ground running against a Chester side defeated 40-10 at the Woodlands last term.

Joint head-coach Loney told The Gazette: “We're happy to start in front of our own fans and the first game is always interesting because there's no form to go on. You hope for a good performance on the back of good stuff in training and the two warm-up games but it will be tough.

“We're happy with our preparation, though we were disappointed not to score a few more points against Sale. We competed well for long periods against a club from a higher level.”

As for Fylde's close-season recruitment, Loney added: “In the final third of last season we had an idea of where we wanted to bring players in and the recruitment we have made hits those areas.

“We are also happy to have kept so many of the boys and a lot of the players have the right sort of age profile to improve. Time will tell but we feel we have a decent group and the new players have settled in well.”

Four of those have arrived from promoted Preston Grasshoppers, which may add further spice to the derby at Lightfoot Green a week on Saturday.

“Three of those four (Pete Altham, Jordan Dorrington, Toby Harrison) are former Fylde players so we know what they are about And Sam Stott is a quality player who is at the right age to get better.”

Stott's arrival adds competition in the centres, where Fylde are further boosted by the return of the prolific Connor Wilkinson after injury wrote off his 2021-22 season.

“Connor played a full part in pre-season and played in both games,” says Loney. “It feels like a new signing and we're all over the moon because he's a top player.”

The reduction of NL2 North from 16 clubs to 14 means four fewer fixtures and less long-distance travelling. And it may not be quite as tough at the top (2021/22 champions Hull have been promoted, with no-one dropping down from National One) but Loney isn't anticipating much difference.

“The new structure doesn't change anything, except that we'll have a few more weekends off," he said. “The league is pretty much the same and two of the three promoted sides, Preston and Otley, know this level well.

“The division split last year, when a big points gap opened up between the top five or six and the rest. Whether that will happen again we don't know, but you have to be on the money every week and we want to make a good start before the weather changes.”