Mick makes instant impact

Photo: PICTURE by CHRIS SUNDERLAND

FITTON Hill coaches Mick Whaley (left) and Dave Hughes flank chairman John Hughes.

RUGBY:

MICK Whaley has joined the Fitton Hill Bulldogs cause for the new NWCL campaign — and he has already made his mark.

“Mick has been fantastic,” said Dave Hughes, who will work alongside the former No.2 to Garry Highton at Waterhead.

“He has good experience of open age rugby and you can see his knowledge is already paying off.

“Fitness-wise, we are a lot more forward and our skills have also developed,” he said.

Whaley (46) is a former Waterhead player and also coached the club’s youths.

He said: “We’ve done a lot of work on tackling, technique and fitness — and lads have responded. They have been very good.”

Fitton Hill, who are up from Division Six to Four following the restructuring of the league, have high expectations of youngsters Josh Hulme and Ryan Hetherington.

Their campaign opens with a trip to Rochdale Mayfield ‘A’, before they play host to Halton Simms Cross ‘A’.