Newsome Panthers have made it through to the quarter-finals of the Yorkshire Cup after beating Westgate Common 30-16.
Boss Richie Hawkyard says it was nice to see the team getting back to winning ways and insists they’ll do all they can to beat Brighouse in the next round.
The Panthers also now have a crucial week off before returning to the league fixtures where they play King Cross Park at home on Saturday May 13. Hawkyard is pleased to have the break to get bodies back after a tough month of fixtures.
On the cup win, Hawkyard said: “I was really proud of the team and the victory. It was good to bounce back with a win after a disappointing defeat the other week. The lads were down after that loss but played really well against a good Westgate team to get the win and push us through to the next round.
“We knew we’d have to play slightly differently due to Westgate’s tight pitch but I thought we handled it well and obviously came out on top.
“I thought the game was a lot tighter than the scoreline suggests. Brighouse will be a tough match in the next round. They are in the same league as us but have had a weird start. They beat Doncaster like we did but then lost to Almondbury Spartans so I don’t know what team of theirs you can predict will turn up.”
Hawkyard said the weekend off will give the older players a chance to recover and shake off a few knocks.
He said: “We are pleased we are getting a week off. The lads have played three of the best teams over the last four weeks, including Westgate twice.
“They have had to work really hard and so, for me, the break has come at the right time for us. I have let the players have this week off completely, I have told them to have a rest.
“Some of the lads have some sore injuries and they are all full-time working too. Rest is as important as training. We’ll come back to training next week and be ready for the game against King Cross.
“I am just looking for that consistency now. Against Westgate in the cup I think that was our first full 80-minute performance. In the games before that I thought we were only really turning up for 60 minutes max. So now I want to see a full 80-minute performance going forward and that’s what we’ll be working towards.”
