'We showed character when it mattered' – Mike Woods pleased as Thatto Heath progress after tough Moldgreen test

Thatto Heath boss Mike Woods praised his side’s resilience after a youthful, reshuffled team battled past Moldgreen 32–22 on Saturday to reach the next round of the National Cup.

With several senior players unavailable and a crucial league trip to West Hull on the horizon, Woods admitted he arrived wary of the physical challenge, but left encouraged by the maturity shown across the park.

“We’ve come with what people will call a weakened team, but they’re all good enough to play rugby,” he said. “We had a couple making debuts, including my own lad at fullback at 17, and I’ll be honest, when Moldgreen walked out, I thought, ‘these are big boys’. But a bit of rugby, a bit of pace, and I think that’s what got us home.”

Thatto’s fast start proved vital in settling the contest.

“In the first 15 minutes we were really professional. We completed, got a couple of tries, and everything calmed down. They’re a big set and there were twitchy moments, but I always felt we could get out of the tough spells. In the NCRL Premier you’re in the washing machine for 80 minutes every week, and that experience showed.”

Woods highlighted the influence of his half backs Ryan Forshaw and Ryan Houghton, insisting they were two players he simply couldn’t rest.

“Those two play regularly and you can’t split a pairing like that. Lewis Foster’s been out with an AC joint but he said, ‘I’ll do 80’. Having him and the other halves there gives you that control - when to kick, when to play, when not to. I thought we were clever today.”

He also praised Adam Saunders, who shifted from centre into the back row and set the tone early.

“He just kept carrying, he's constant 8 out of 10 every week. He’s so hard to stop. I was nervous for the young lads, but we got a lot more out of it than I expected.”

Despite the win, Woods was frustrated by the number of set restarts conceded by his side.

“I think we gave eight or ten away, maybe just in the second half. That put us on the back foot. We’ll look at the video and see why, because if we cut that out, we stay on top for longer.”

Attention now turns to next week’s daunting trip to West Hull, a ground where Woods has never won.

“We’ve got seven or eight to come back, hopefully. Sean Kenny, the captain, he just started a new job and there was no way we could get him, he'll be fine this week. Although Jamie Tracey’s out for six weeks with a pec injury. West Hull are top for a reason — they’re relentless. I’ve never won there, so it’s a big one.”

Still, Woods was left encouraged by the depth on display.

“Today proved we’ve got young lads ready to step in. They fronted up, they showed character, and we’re in the next round. You’ve got to be happy with that.”

BARLA National Cup results:

Moldgreen 22 Thatto Heath Crusaders 32

Ellenborough 18 Siddal 0

Ince Rose Bridge 18 Clock Face Miners 0

Featherstone Lions 18 Oldham St Annes 0 

Oulton Raiders 0 Bentley 18

Mid-week fixtures:

National Conference League – North West

6th May 2026

Orrell St James v Woolston Rovers, K.O. 7PM

8th May 2026

Ince Rose Bridge v Ashton Bears, K.O. 8PM