Play well and you can stay: message to Sheffield Eagles players

Eagles all but secured their place in the Championship after defeating Oldham last weekend. Aston has one eye on next season as he looks to avoid a situation where off the field issues forced a hurried recruitment drive - one that saw the Eagles squad only rubber stamped weeks before the start of the campaign.

“I want to start tying people down and look at fetching in new players” Aston said. “We have got ourselves into this position this season, now we need to start thinking about bringing in players that can take us to that next level.

“That target is the top four. We got close this year, but didn’t quite get there. We want to be challenging for the top four next year. As much as we have worked hard and done some good work this season, we have also had some bad dips as well.”

The club’s direction could yet be dictated by their plans to move back into Sheffield, with Aston expecting some news on their prospective move into the Olympic Legacy Park soon.

In the meantime his immediate aim is to ensure that the chaotic nature of their late season recruiting isn’t repeated.

The next two months could yet have a bearing on his thoughts, with Dewsbury next on the menu this Sunday.

“There’s still time and I have told them that a month ago,” he added. “Their actions have to speak louder than their words. “John Kear used to say to us what you did in pre-season was putting money in the bank, but it just seems at times we have run out of money. We need to make sure that next year we have a great pre-season, that we get the right squad together and build for 2018 which will be a big year for us.”