Sheffield Eagles boss excited for new chapter in Dronfield
Sheffield Eagles host London Broncos at the MEPS International Home of Football Stadium this weekend
Fresh from securing back-to-back Betfred Championship victories following Friday’s impressive win over Halifax Panthers, Sheffield Eagles are preparing for another huge test this weekend as they welcome London Broncos to The MEPS International Home of Football Stadium for the very first time.
Sunday’s clash marks a landmark occasion for the Eagles as they begin a new chapter at their new home in Dronfield, with Craig Lingard’s side eager to celebrate the moment by extending their winning run to three consecutive league victories.
Standing in their way, however, is the Championship’s form side.
London Broncos arrive in Dronfield sitting top of the table and still unbeaten in all competitions this season. They also booked their place in the semi-finals of the 1895 Cup last weekend following victory over Doncaster.
Despite the task ahead, Lingard believes the occasion presents an exciting opportunity for both the club and supporters as Sheffield begin life at their new home.
“It’s really an exciting time for the club and the team; it’s a bit of a new era for us to go down there. We can put our own stamp on things down there and properly call it our home, however long we’re down there,” said the Eagles Coach.
“I really like the feel of the ground, it’s nice and compact and we hopefully can get the fans close to the pitch making lots of noise, that noise will be heard around the stadium, and I think it will make it a family-friendly atmosphere.
“The dimensions are slightly different to what we’ve played on at the other ground, but it’s something the more we train and play more there, that we can use to our advantage.
“We really want to make our new ground a fortress, hopefully we can get lots of wins there and make it a really decent atmosphere.”
Sheffield and London met in the capital just last month, with the latter producing a dominant display to claim a 48-4 victory.
Having reviewed that defeat and reflected on the opening half of the campaign, Lingard is fully aware of the quality his Eagles side will face again this Sunday.
He added, “They (London) are the best team in this division by a country mile, with the results they’ve achieved this year so far and the points they’ve been putting on teams, we know they’re going to be a tough opponent for us on Sunday.
“London are tough, strong and full-time, they’ve got players in their squad who will probably end up playing in the NRL next season or have already previously played in that competition. We can’t take away the qualities that they’ve got.
“They will probably break a lot of records this year in the Championship, and we probably couldn’t have got a harder game than this one for our first game in Dronfield.”
While acknowledging the magnitude of the challenge, Lingard wants his players to approach the contest with belief and embrace the opportunity to test themselves against the league leaders.
With confidence building following consecutive league victories, the Eagles Head Coach is determined for his side to attack the second half of the season head-on.
Despite the odds, Sheffield will be aiming to produce a statement performance on home soil and make their first outing in Dronfield one to remember.
“We spoke to the players on Thursday at training and said we know we must go out there and attack the game, we can’t sit back and worry about what could happen.
“There’s no doubt that this game is going to be a huge challenge for us, but we really want to attack this second half of the season, and what a better opportunity it is for us than to play the best team in this division this weekend.”
“We will certainly be going out there and embracing the challenge that London are going to bring this weekend.”