NCRL Division One's Kells went into their game with East Leeds last Saturday well prepared, and it showed. They’d put the work in all week and even enjoyed a tough contact session with professional neighbours Workington Town on the Thursday before the match.
As former Whitehaven forward, and hat-trick man Clarke Chambers put it afterwards: “We trained well with Town on Thursday.”
The group arrived confident and preparation eventually carried them through to a 62-4 success.
The first half didn’t quite flow the way they wanted. The effort was there, the intent was there, but the rhythm wasn’t. Kells were doing plenty right without quite finding the sharpness to turn pressure into points. And once they settled, there was no stopping the hosts.
The shift came at half time. Head coach Peter Smith and assistant Stephen Kirkbride, another former Whitehaven man, kept the message simple. No panic, just a reminder of what had been working all season. Chambers summed it up neatly: “Kirkey pulled us in at half time and just told us to gather up the basics and what we’ve been doing all year.”
It clicked almost immediately. Kells came out with a clearer shape, more patience, and more purpose. And once they found their groove, the tries flowed. “When we fell into our shape, our tries started coming,” Chambers said. And he led the way with the second half treble that turned the afternoon into a personal highlight reel.
Those three tries pushed him to 18 league tries so far, making him the top scorer in League One of the NCRL, and underlined the player he has become since returning from the nearby Recreation Ground. He’s playing as a strike back row forward, leading from the front and looks increasingly to be one of the club’s more established figures at the relatively young age of 24.
What’s striking is how naturally he’s grown into that role. He doesn’t see himself as a leader - “not too much coaching on the field,” he laughed, but he knows the younger lads look up to him. And he’s impressed with them too. “You wouldn’t think it was their first seasons…how they’ve trained, how they’ve slotted in. You can’t knock them.”
Chambers is a man back comfortable in his surroundings. He’s enjoying being back home and it shows. He took the opportunity to praise the coaching setup. “I'm enjoying it…enjoying the coaches as well. You can tell that they’ve played at a high level themselves. Everything they’re doing is working well.” It’s clear he feels the benefit of that experience, and his form reflects it.
Kells are top of the league, scoring freely, and whisper it quietly, they look to be building something. Chambers isn’t getting ahead of himself however and when asked about Pilkington Recs next time round, he added, “hopefully we get another win next week, and everyone comes out injury free.” It's attitude like this which shows exactly why they are where they are.
A second half hat trick might grab the headlines, but the bigger story is the player Chambers has become: a homegrown on field influencer, thriving under strong coaching, and driving Kells’ season forward with real authority, and a few tries.
National League Results - Saturday 6th June
Premier Division
Hunslet ARLFC 8 Waterhead Warriors 28
Rochdale Mayfield 24 York Acorn 24
Siddal 42 Heworth 16
Wath Brow Hornets 32 Thatto Heath Crusaders 4
West Bowling 34 Lock Lane 24
West Hull 38 Wigan St Judes 6
Division One
Dewsbury Moor Maroons 52 Egremont Rangers 18
Kells 62 East Leeds 4
Oldham St Annes 12 Shaw Cross Sharks 36
Oulton Raiders 6 Leigh Miners Rangers 18 (abandoned at half time due to referee injury)
Stanningley 18 Pilkington Recs 22
Wigan St Patricks 20 Dewsbury Celtic 44
National Conference Cumbria
Barrow Island 44 Ellenborough 34
Maryport 47 Seaton Rangers 22
Dalton 46 Ulverston 10
Hensingham 72 Hindpool Tigers 10
Millom 16 Distington 34
National Conference North West
Crosfields 22 Clock Face Miners 30
Ince Rose Bridge 34 Saddleworth Rangers 36
Leigh East 18 Woolston Rovers 12
Orrell St James 40 Blackbrook 6
National Conference South
Bedford Tigers 28 Wests Warriors 12
Brentwood Eels 6 Hammersmith Hill Hoists 20
Bristol All Golds 48 North Herts Crusaders 6
London Chargers 22 Eastern Rhinos 0
National Conference Yorkshire A
Bradford Dudley Hill 24 Thornhill Trojans 14
Keighley Albion 70 Beverley 6
King Cross Park 16 Mirfield Spartans 34
Moldgreen 32 Drighlington 14
Myton Warriors 44 Stanley Rangers 4
National Conference Yorkshire B
Featherstone Lions 36 Skirlaugh 12
Fryston Warriors 15 Milford 8
Kippax Welfare 20 Siddal Academy 6
Newsome Panthers 72 Hull Dockers 12
Normanton Knights 16 Bentley 10
