Ince Rose Bridge coaches Darren Blakeley and Kieran Malone insist their side are thriving under the "underdog" tag as they prepare to take on Premier Division giants West Hull in the BARLA National Cup Final at Castleford RLFC on Saturday, October 31st (3pm KO).
The Wigan outfit head into the showpiece event riding the crest of a wave following a sensational 38–6 victory over Blackbrook in the Cross Conference Championship final at Bradford two weeks ago. That emphatic triumph extended Rose Bridge's stunning winning run to 14 matches - a remarkable turnaround after a mid-season slump forced a frank squad intervention.
"We had a bit of a bad spell in the middle of the season and then we had a bit of a meeting and a group chat and some home truths were told," revealed assistant coach Kieran Malone.
"Since then we just seem to go on and on and be better and bigger things. I think we're on a 13-14 game-winning streak now, which is some doing in itself."
That momentum was on full display in Bradford, where Rose Bridge blew their opponents away in an explosive opening period. Malone highlighted their ruthless execution as the blueprint for Saturday's clash.
"We try to start really fast out of the blocks," Malone said. "It's bitten us on the backside a couple of times this year where we started to look a bit slow and we're chasing games later on. But we came out and we were really, really dominant, especially the first 20 minutes. I thought it was clinical - our completion rate was over 95%, so we'll take that."
Head coach Darren Blakeley was equally full of praise for his squad, singling out powerful forward Casey Shaw following a towering, Man of the Match display.
"I don't know how many Weetabix he'd had that morning, but it was quite a lot to be honest with you," joked Blakely. "All the lads played well, but Casey...plays like that week in and week out, me and Kieran get the best out of these lads. A top effort and well worthy of Man of the Match."
Saturday's final represents the culmination of an arduous campaign that began nearly a year ago in the Challenge Cup. "Obviously with the Challenge Cup we did start last November, so we're close to going on 12 months now," admitted Malone. "We've picked some knocks up and the lads are due for a rest, but we're going again with the National Cup Final."
Despite the physical toll of a marathon season, Malone believes entering the final as outsiders plays right into their hands against a West Hull side looking to avenge their 0–14 Premier Division Grand Final loss to Hunslet ARLFC.
"The good thing is we're probably going to go into that game as underdogs, which probably suits us a little bit," Malone added. "Listen, it's our Cup final, so we've nothing to lose that day. It's an achievement in itself getting to the final, but we want to bring another trophy back to the club."
For Blakeley, the focus remains firmly on maintaining their routine rather than overhauling tactics for their top-flight opponents. Preparation won't change, "Just like we've been doing every week, mate, we'll not change any preparation," Blakeley emphasised. "The lads will have a good rest this week, get the rub downs, the cold baths, and we'll just do what we've been doing week in and week out. We know we're playing a fantastic side in West Hull, but our mentality is we just believe in what we want to do and the achievements we want. We've got our goals, and on that day what happens, happens."
With whisperings surrounding the coaching duo's long-term future at the helm, Blakeley made it clear that all talks are paused until the final whistle sounds on Saturday.
"I can tell you the truth, it's definitely got to be two more weeks - I'll guarantee you that," Blakeley laughed. "And then we're going to sit down, me and Kieran, and have a serious discussion about moving forward. But like I say, our main focus now is on the final. We're not overlooking... we'll deal with that this week and then we'll make some decisions at the end of the season."
The action gets underway at 11am with the inaugural 1973 Cup Final. Newly crowned Premier Division champions Hunslet ARLFC take on Yorkshire Regional Conference side Fryston Warriors, in what could be a bruising encounter with Fryston coming into that one as firm underdogs
By Dave Parkinson
Photo Credit: 13 Pro-Am Community RL
