Nottingham Outlaws' chairman Richard Johnson is confident the club can have a successful 2011 on the pitch as the new campaign gets ready to kick-off this Saturday.
The Outlaws start the new Co-Operative Rugby League Conference National season with an away trip to Dewsbury Celtic after their busiest off-season in recent years.
The club re-located to the 'spiritual home' of Rugby League in Nottingham, Harvey Hadden, before Martin Crick's sudden resignation as head coach saw Paul Calland and Simon Morton appointed joint head coaches.
And Johnson insists the players have been unaffected by all the changes as they prepare to start the season off with a win.
He said: "In 2011 we go into the new Conference National campaign with a mixture of high hopes and some uncertainty.
"Our hopes stem from a new-look squad that has been moulded together by rookie coaches Simon Morton and Paul Calland.
"Speaking with coaching co-ordinator Joe (Shepherd), the players have responded to the change in leadership extremely well and I'm looking forward to seeing how Simon and Paul handle the move into coaching.
"Both men know what to expect after representing the Outlaws at this level and will draw on their varied playing and coaching experiences to lead this young and exciting group of players.
"The uncertainty will come with the presence of two new clubs entering the league, including our midlands rivals Coventry Bears"
The Bears are joined in the league by Wales Rugby League Conference Premier Champions Valley Cougars and both clubs are expected to add stiff competition to an already tough league.
Johnson added: From our sources we already know that a number of clubs have been recruiting strongly in the off-season and without a doubt the competition on the pitch will be ratcheted up a few notches this season.
"However, we are quietly confident that we will be more than competitive in a league that offers no easy matches for any team.
"We were unlucky to lose our two games against the RAF and the Royal Artillery, in the Challenge Cup and Heroes Trophy respectively, earlier this year.
"But we got a good win against a vastly improved Leicester Storm outfit in a friendly a week ago and everyone is raring to go and I personally cannot wait for the season to begin."
A number of youngsters who have progressed up through the youth sides are expected to be challenging hard for first team places this season with the likes of Reece Needham and Coryn Ward showing just how well the club's development programme is working.
The first game of the season will provide a stern test for the Outlaws as they face the side that handed them their biggest defeat of 2010 when Dewsbury ran out 34-0 winners.
Winning the first game of the season could lay the foundations for a successful campaign as the Outlaws attempt to reclaim a play-off berth and challenge last year's Grand Final winners, Warrington Wizards, for their crown.
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