Fylde RFC squad has plenty to play for in the final few weeks

Before Lancashire and the other counties embark on the Twickenham trail, there are three more rounds of National League fixtures to be played this month; including one outstanding date in Fylde’s diary.

Their final home game in NL2 North against Leeds Tykes on April 13 could have a major impact on the title race but first comes Saturday’s return to action at Hull (2pm).

Fylde’s previous three away matches have brought their heaviest defeats of the season at Tynedale and Otley, with a narrow win at bottom club Huddersfield in between.

Before turning his thoughts to table-topping Leeds’ trip to the Woodlands, joint-head coach Alex Loney wants to see Fylde returning to their best on the road.

He told The Gazette: ”Hull will be a tough old game. We beat them comfortably here according to the scoreboard (35-8 in the opening game of 2024) but it was a really tough test against a good side.

“We haven’t been there for a couple of seasons and expect a full-blooded affair.

“The last away performance against Otley was a bit off but, if we get everything in order, we can beat Hull home and away, though it’s about getting it right on the field.”

Players will be keen to impress ahead of a County Championship which starts late, with Lancashire’s first meeting against Somerset on May 18 and continuing into June, when a Roses match may well decide who graces the national stadium.

Lancashire were losing finalists to Kent in Loney’s first tournament as head coach last year and he added: “We look forward to the County Championship next month and trying to go that one step further this time.

“We’ve had a Lancashire selection meeting and Fylde players will be in the mix but it’s all about availability and, of course, about who is playing well.”

Work is also continuing behind the scenes on finalising the Fylde squad for next season, with the first quartet of retained players confirmed.

These include two products of the club’s mini-juniors in back-rower Toby Harrison and scrum-half turned winger Adam Lanigan, as well as two players ending their third season at the Woodlands – prop Corey Bowker and versatile back Ben Turner.

Those four have close to 300 senior appearances for Fylde between them and have shared 58 tries.

Loney added: “The work on retention and recruitment goes hand in hand and it’s an ongoing process.

“We hope to have everything in place by the end of the season.

“There will be more players re-signing and some new signings too.

“We’ve got boys who have already committed to joining us and hopefully we’ll get a few more over the line to build an exciting squad for next season.”