Sheffield Tigers: Simon Stead eyeing Championship Shield qualification

Sheffield Tigers boss Simon Stead. Picture: Taylor Lanning

Tigers head to Redcar tonight before facing the Bears at Owlerton this Sunday (4pm).

And with both teams being tipped as potential silverware candidates this year, Stead is keen to see his side build on their season opening win over Scunthorpe.

“These may only be our second and third meetings of the year but they’re also very important,” Stead says.

“The way the Championship Shield groups work, there’s very little room for any errors or slip-ups if you want to get through to the next round.

“Ours is a really tough group - arguably the toughest and there’s very little to separate the four clubs and I think ourselves, Redcar, Leicester and Scunthorpe all fancy our chances of qualifying.

“Every point counts as we found out last year and while there’ll still be another three meetings to go after this weekend, we’d like to be in a strong position going into those.

“A point at Redcar wouldn’t be the worst result in the world - but it doesn’t need me to tell anybody by now that we’re going there to win and we’ll be doing everything to get all four points on offer if we can.

“Whatever the result we’ll then get back on home ground on Sunday and look to add another home win to our tally.

“Redcar have got a strong looking team with a mixture of some experience at the top end and some good young riders lower down.

“But as I’ve said before, no matter how strong the opposition, if we focus on being the best we can be then I back us to beat anybody.

“We may have had the odd teething problem here or there on Sunday but it’s the start of the season and these things happen.

“What’s important is that we learn from them and move on from them and try and put them behind us.

“A few of the boys have got some more laps under their belt this week and we’re looking forward to a busy weekend together.”

REDCAR: Michael Palm Toft, Tom Bacon, Ben Barker, Jordan Stewart, Charles Wright, Nathan Greaves, Jack Smith.

SHEFFIELD: Danny King, Zaine Kennedy, Kasper Andersen, Ty Proctor, Kyle Howarth, Broc Nicol, Drew Kemp.