Rangers aim to bounce right back

AMATEUR RUGBY LEAGUE: SADDLEWORTH Rangers travel to face Stanningley tomorrow (2.30pm kick-off) needing a win to remain at the top of National Conference League division one.

An unexpected 16-6 loss at Mayfield last week saw the Greenfield side’s advantage at the top snipped down to one point but while coach Keith Brennan acknowledges the need to get back to winning ways, he remains relatively content with the way things have gone for his side this season.

“It is always better to have a points gap at the top,” Brennan said. “But if you had asked us at the start of the year if we would have been happy with 10 wins out of 13, we would have taken it.”


WATERHEAD are in action in the first round of the BARLA National Cup, taking on Egremont Rangers at home (2pm).

Mick Slicker is away this weekend so the Peach Road side will be coached by Paul Geener and Terry Smith, who should welcome back key half-back Mick Diveney to the fold following a shoulder injury.

Kieran Grennan is still missing but apart from that, Waterhead should be at full strength for a meeting with a Cumbrian side currently three places higher in National Conference League division two.


ST ANNE’S have no first-team game this weekend.
Saturday — National Conference League, division one: Stanningley v Saddleworth Rangers (2.30pm).


BARLA National Cup round one: Liversedge v Higginshaw (1.30pm); Waterhead v Egremont Rangers (2pm).

North-West Counties League, division one: Oldham St Anne’s ‘A’ v Blackpool Scorpions. Division three: Woolston Rovers v Saddleworth Rangers ‘A’. Division five: Eccleston Lions v Waterhead ‘A’; Rochdale Cobras v Wigan Bulldogs.

Pennine League, division four: Hollinwood v Wets Craven Warriors.

Sunday — North-West Counties Cup, under-18s quarter-final: Crosfields v Oldham St Anne’s; Under-17s, round one: Waterhead v Hindley; Under-16s, round three: Oldham St Anne’s v Golborne Parkside, Thatto Heath v Waterhead.

North-West Counties League, under-16s division two: West Bank Bears v Saddleworth Rangers.

Lancashire Cup, under-15s semi-final: Saddleworth Rangers v Orrell St James. Under-13s semi-final: Rochdale Mayfield v Waterhead.