Fylde RFC want to sign off the season in style

Fylde have already sealed fourth place in National Two North – one higher than 2023/24 – and look forward to welcoming the runners-up to the Woodlands (3pm).

While joint-head coach Briers would have liked to feature in a promotion race which saw the top three pull away early, he told The Gazette: “I think we deserve to finish in the position we are in and we want to sign off on a real positive note.

“There have been games when we’ve taken our eye off the ball and we have talked about those. There are also games we could have won, but didn’t, and that’s the way of sport.

“There was a lot of discussion at the start of the season about how we would go without players who had retired or moved on and I think we’ve put that to bed, and we have finished higher than last year.

“The squad is mostly sorted for next season and hopefully a couple of additions will strengthen us again.”

Briers admits a two-week break between the final two fixtures is “not ideal” but added: “It does seem a bit strange but it’s just when Easter falls.

“After a physical game at Wharfedale, it’s an opportunity to rest up properly and really have a go at Sheffield.

“We’re training as normal this week after giving the players last week off, but some of them did come in on Thursday for a runaround – without any formal coaching – which is a good sign of the spirit and attitude we have.”

Fylde and Sheffield haven’t met since September’s opening day, when the hosts won 38-19 in South Yorkshire.

“It will be a really good test against a team that beat us right back at the start and we want to finish on a high at home,” added Briers.

“It will be a bit of a mental challenge too at the end of the season because both teams know what position they will finish in.

“There’s nothing on the line in terms of the league and it’s a game that won’t change anything, so it will be a good mental test to finish on a real positive.”