There are the usual aches, strains and pulls as players, who only a month ago, were fit and who now are suffering. Justin "Hamburglar" Bishop, our assistant coach and sometimes 1st XV winger, is desperately trying to prove that, at 36ish, he is still fitter than the young bucks after his place with, I must say, some success as he managed to beat Michael Cusack our 20st prop the other day.

I have watched the lads train on the track at Keepmoat Stadium and it is an excellent facility. it amazes all of us however why it is used so little. Perhaps the Stadium Management Committee can answer that question?

During the past week we have offered contracts to two of our academy players. The first, who has accepted and signed, is Tom Doughty who is a hooker whilst the other is schoolboy prop Lewis Thiede, who is still at Hall Cross.

Both have great potential and hopefully are the start of what will become a production line of players through our academy structure.

The next stage of our academy development is to link up with Doncaster College, and through them Hull University, to give players an educational as well as a career pathway for the future.

Our stadium development work is progressing well with the entire site being levelled.

Hopefully work will start next week on laying the actual foundations. This development work is taking place right alongside the portacabin occupied by our marketing and media Manager Martin Haythorne and his two Castle Park mice Marion and Martin.

And so on to the next experimental law variation to be introduced next season. This one relates to players being able to defend a maul by pulling it down.

To do this, a defender must grasp an opposing player in the maul anywhere between the shoulders and the hips and then pull that player to the ground. If the maul is brought down by any other action it is regarded as a collapse which remains illegal.

From our perspective this might help the reduce the number of yellow cards we receive but is it a good change? Very few Northern hemisphere commentators seem to think it is as, to a man, they all consider it to be dangerous.

Lynn Howells, our Director of Rugby, is doubtful whether it will make a significant difference having watched a number of Super 14 games where the new rule has been played as players quickly move the ball within the maul and drive off the side.

One also still sees tries from driving lineouts which this change seems to have been introduced to try to prevent.