FROM THE DUGOUT - RAISING THE LEVEL

Matt Danville reflects on a winning start to the playoffs, looks ahead to a huge Fixture 2 against Saddleworth Rangers and discusses why success throughout Skirlaugh is beginning to show the strength of the pathway being rebuilt at the club.

Skirlaugh got their playoff campaign off to the start they wanted last weekend with a 32–16 victory over Distington at Eastside.

Five tries, two points on the board and another home victory represented a good afternoon’s work, but Head Coach Matt Danville believes there is considerably more to come from his side.

“I was pleased overall. First and foremost, the objective was to start the playoffs with a win and we did that fairly comfortably,” said Danville.

“I don’t think we ever really got out of second gear, if I’m honest. Distington came with plenty of energy and enthusiasm and caused us some problems, particularly early on, but when we settled into the game I thought our quality showed.

“There are definitely areas we can be better in, but winning 32–16 and scoring five tries while probably not producing our best rugby isn’t a bad place to be.”

Defensive resolve, but discipline must improve

One aspect that particularly pleased the Skirlaugh coach was his side’s ability to withstand early pressure.

Distington enjoyed periods of good field position, aided by penalties, but Skirlaugh repeatedly defended their own line before eventually taking greater control of the contest.

“Our defence pleased me, particularly early on,” Danville explained. “Distington had some really good field position through repeat penalties and we had to defend our line for long periods, but the lads kept turning them away.

“I thought George Thompson was outstanding, Keane Dearlove caused them problems around the middle and our outside backs gave us some really strong yardage carries.”

There was, however, one area where the message this week has been clear.

“The obvious improvement is discipline. We gave Distington too many opportunities to get back into the game through penalties and errors.

“Against better sides, you can’t continually give away field position because eventually you’ll get punished. That’s something we’ve spoken about this week.”

And with only three games making up this stage of the playoffs, there is little time to spend looking backwards.

“We’ve reviewed Distington, taken the positives and identified where we need to improve, but it’s gone now. Three group games doesn’t give you much room for error.

“You can’t spend all week patting yourself on the back after a win, just like you can’t dwell on a defeat. It’s about resetting quickly and preparing properly for what’s immediately in front of you.”

Saddleworth arrive with momentum

What sits immediately in front of Skirlaugh is a Saddleworth Rangers side who made an emphatic statement of their own in Playoff Fixture 1.

A convincing victory over Keighley Albion means both Skirlaugh and Saddleworth arrive at Eastside this Saturday with winning starts behind them — adding further significance to an already important afternoon.

“A really tough game,” was Danville’s assessment of what awaits.

“Their result against Keighley certainly caught people’s attention and tells you straight away they’re coming here in good form and full of confidence.

“We won’t underestimate them. At this stage every side has earned the right to be here. They’ll be physical, they’ll compete and they’ll fancy coming to Eastside and turning us over.

“But equally, we’re confident in what we do and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

For Danville, Saddleworth’s opening result also demonstrated exactly why nothing can be taken for granted during the playoffs.

“I think anyone who thought these group games were going to be straightforward will have had a bit of a wake-up call.

“Both ourselves and Saddleworth have started with wins, so Saturday becomes a really important fixture. But that’s exactly what playoff rugby should be about — good teams playing meaningful games with something on the line.”

Time to move up another level

Eastside has been a major part of Skirlaugh’s story this season.

The side completed the regular season unbeaten on home soil before beginning their playoff campaign with another victory there last weekend.

Danville is proud of that record, but knows it guarantees nothing when the whistle blows on Saturday.

“We’ve spoken about Eastside all year and the lads have really bought into making it a difficult place for opposition teams to come. We finished the regular season unbeaten at home and we’re proud of that.

“But those results don’t earn us anything on Saturday. The standards that created that record are what matter.

“We need the same intensity, togetherness and willingness to work for each other. Hopefully we get another good crowd behind us because that genuinely does make a difference.”

This weekend, though, the Head Coach wants more.

“I’d like to see us move up another level.

“Last weekend was a good solid win without us being at our absolute best. As you progress through these playoffs, the standard and intensity will increase, so ours has to increase with it.

“More than anything, I want to see a really mature performance. Respect Saddleworth, understand the threat they bring, but be confident in ourselves and impose our game on them.”

Competition for shirts intensifies

The competition is not only coming from Saturday’s opposition.

Danville has some increasingly difficult selection decisions to make as players return to contention and some of Skirlaugh’s younger talent begins pushing into the senior environment.

Jack Sutton made his first-team debut against Distington, while Ben Hookem is another player whose recent work has caught the Head Coach’s eye.

“There’s certainly competition, which is exactly what you want at this stage of the season,” Danville said.

“A few lads put their hands up last weekend and Jack Sutton making his first-team debut and having an impact was particularly pleasing for me.

“Ben Hookem has really stepped up as well. He’s training the house down and it’s showing in his game.”

There could now be even more competition.

“We’ve got players pushing to come back into contention in Leo Tennison and Scott Mountain, plus the U18s have finished their season now, so we have six of them coming into our playoff training squad.

“There will be some decisions to make. Nobody owns a shirt at this stage. Selection has to be based on what’s best for the team and what we think gives us the best chance of winning on Saturday.”

Building something that lasts

The arrival of six U18s into the playoff training squad comes at the end of a memorable season for Skirlaugh’s youngsters, who have been crowned league champions.

For Danville, their success is significant not only in its own right, but because of where those players sit within the club’s pathway.

“It’s fantastic and everyone involved deserves massive congratulations. Players, coaches, parents and everyone behind the scenes — winning a league title takes a huge amount of commitment.

“From my perspective it’s particularly pleasing because those lads sit immediately below Open Age. We want young Skirlaugh players looking at our first team and believing there’s a route there for them.”

That success inevitably presents another challenge: how do you create opportunities for an emerging generation when the first team itself is already competitive?

Danville sees it as exactly the sort of problem Skirlaugh should want.

“What we can’t do is talk about having a pathway and then put a brick wall in front of lads when they reach 18,” he explained.

“Equally, we can’t just hand first-team shirts out because somebody has come through the youth system. They have to be ready and ultimately earn that opportunity.

“The important thing is providing a genuine route into Open Age. Get them training around senior players, introduce them at the right pace and give them meaningful rugby where they can continue developing.

“If they’re good enough and performing well enough, age shouldn’t stop them getting an opportunity.”

A vision for a sustainable Skirlaugh

It is here that Danville’s ambitions stretch well beyond this season’s playoff campaign.

When he took the Head Coach role, rebuilding a visible route from Skirlaugh’s youth setup into senior rugby was central to what he wanted to achieve.

“When I took the Head Coach’s role on, I had a vision of creating a sustainable club again with a visible pathway for our young lads to see where they are going — or somewhere to come back to if they progress to the professional ranks.

“Once that’s in place, then you can start assembling your teams. It’s a long process because of how much it had been neglected, but we have the foundations in place now and we’re seeing the benefits.”

The Academy has a particularly important role to play.

“Not every 18-year-old is physically or mentally ready to jump straight into first-team rugby, and that’s absolutely fine.

“We need somewhere for those lads to play regularly, learn Open Age rugby and develop without being rushed. All kids develop at different times and that’s where our Academy supports that.

“We’ve already seen young players progress through that route. The stronger we make the whole Open Age setup, the stronger the first team will ultimately become — and more importantly, it will last for generations to come.”

Success throughout the club

The U18s are not the only Skirlaugh youngsters with something to celebrate.

There has also been national success for the Under 14s, alongside strong Yorkshire Cup progress elsewhere in the youth section.

For Danville, those achievements demonstrate that the momentum around the club extends far beyond his own team.

“When you’ve got young age groups achieving nationally, the Under 18s winning their league and the Open Age competing in the playoffs, there is clearly some excellent work being done throughout the club.

“The coaches and volunteers at grassroots level probably don’t always receive the recognition they deserve, especially the ones giving up their own time and helping develop not just rugby players but young people.

“The club should be incredibly proud of them and it needs to be celebrated.”

The challenge now is connecting those different levels and ensuring success today helps build the Skirlaugh of tomorrow.

“For me, the exciting — and probably most vital — part is making sure those things connect.

“We want a club where a kid can pull on a Skirlaugh shirt at junior level, progress through the age groups, into the U18s and Open Age, and ultimately represent our first team.

“If their talent is picked up along the way by the professional clubs, that’s even better. But if that door ends up closing, we want that talent coming back to our U18s or Open Age and starting that cycle again.

“That’s what a genuine pathway looks like.

“If we can protect that and keep improving it, then the future of Skirlaugh is in a very good place.”

For all the excitement surrounding what is developing across the club, however, Danville’s immediate attention remains firmly fixed on the next 80 minutes.

“For us this week, the focus is simple — Saddleworth at Eastside on Saturday. Get down and support the boys.” 🟡⚫️

NEXT UP

Skirlaugh v Saddleworth Rangers
📅 Saturday 12 September
📍 Eastside
⏰ 2:30pm Kick-Off