OUTLAWS READY FOR FLOODLIT FIRST

Nottingham Outlaws Rugby League Club break new ground for the club when they play their first ever match under floodlights this Friday. They entertain Leicester Phoenix at The Bay (kick off 8.00pm) in a match that has been re-scheduled due to a clash with the 20-20 cricket at Trent Bridge on the original scheduled date.

In a first for the club, the Outlaws will be hoping that they are not dazzled by the occasion. However, with a healthy 58-4 victory already under their belts against their local riivals in their first encounter this season sees the Outlaws go into the match as hot favourites. The team will be finalised just before kick off as the coach waits to see whether Adam Millward is fit enough to return to action after a niggling calf injury ruled the dynamic forward out of the last 2 matches.

Coach Martin Crick remained relaxed but focussed when prompted as to whether his pre-match preparations would be affected with the unusual kick-off time, adding "between now and the end of the season it is important that the whole squad remains focussed on the job in hand and we take each match at a time. We have come such a long way already this year but we are desperate to make sure that we get things right now we are at the business end of the season"

A quick glance at the Midlands Premier league table sees the Outlaws perched on top at the half-way stage with a 2 points gap over arch-rivals Coventry Bears. The fight is only just beggining however as The Outlaws have to travel to Coventry for the second match-up and it is highly likely that the 2 teams will meet again for the regional play-offs before the winners progress into the national knock-out stages, which The Outlaws have only ever reached once in their history, in 2006, when they were last crowned as Premier Champions.

Looking at the current squad, the latest band of Outlaws look like they have more than enough quality in their ranks to match the record-breaking Outlaws team of 2006. Of the 26 players used so far this season only 8 players were present in the 2006 record breaking run. However there are plenty of fresh faces in this current crop of Outlaws and they will be desperate to make some history of their own this season and go one better than their 2006 counterpart by reaching the finals! However, before the players can dream of greater deeds they will have to focus on the job in hand against Leicester on Friday and waiting in the wings are Coventry Bears, already hurt by an early season mauling by the Outlaws. They will certainly be waiting to pounce should the Outlaws show any signs of complacency in the return fixtures to come!

Richard Johnson