This page contains a selection of the Match Reports for the 2002 Sheffield Eagles Academy and also the End of Season Awards Winners

EAGLES U21's to TAKE ON DEWSBURY
 

Sheffield Eagles new Alliance Team are to play a "friendly" against Dewsbury on Thursday Evening (7.30pm) @ Dewsbury, with a team of young up and coming talent.
The team will include many locals and juniors including Mitch Stringer from Hoyland Vikings ARLFC, Rob North from Rotherham ARLFC (signed as junior with the old Eagles in 1995 and played until 1997), Simon Morton also an ex-Eagle(1998/99) and Hillsborough Hawks ARLFC, Rob Keenan from Sheffield Rugby Union Club and Leeds University, Neil Foster of Hallam University and Hillsborough Hawks and Scottish Student U21, Ryan Knight - who will be playing in his first representative match for the Eagles since scoring a hat-trick of tries as a trialist, against the GB Students in Gateshead, in November. He comes from Glossop.
There will also be 17 year old Adam Carroll who hails from Halifax and is a college student and also included will be the young Eagles lads Lee Bettinson, from Doncaster and Simon Tillyer (England and GB U21 Student). Another youngster having a game will be a young student from Luton by the name of Matty Thomas

Mark Aston is hoping that game will give him a chance to follow through his ideas of developing and grooming young and local talent for the future.

DEWSBURY ACADEMY 38 SHEFFIELD EAGLES ACADEMY 22

In the friendly played last night at The Ram Stadium, Dewsbury, Sheffield Eagles young squad played their first game in a very wet conditions and general acquitted themselves well.

The result does not really reflect the closeness the game and there were two soft tries scored by Dewsbury very close top the final whistle which distorted the scoreline.

The young Ryan Knight scored two tries and one was a 90 metre interception try which again showed his potential. Considering the conditions and the fact that the squad had not played together before there was a good performance and Simon Morton had a particularly good game. Darren Callaghan kicked some good goals. The team will improve as they have a few more games under their belt.

The evening was spoilt by a nasty injury to young Matt Thomas who had travelled up by train from Luton, who was taken to Dewsbury hospital with a broken leg and badly damaged ankle.

Academy 2002 Players Statistics - Academy 2002 "Mark Had a Dream"

Rugby League Senior Academy - First Division (Results)

Sheffield Eagles Academy (22) 44 Whitehaven (10)16 ........ read

Oldham Academy (4) 22 V Sheffield Eagles Academy (12) 20........ read

Barrow Academy (14) 36 v. Sheffield Eagles Academy (12) 12 ........ read

Doncaster Dragons Academy (26) 56 V Sheffield Eagles Academy (10) 14 ........ read

Sheffield Eagles Academy (17) 35 Barrow Raiders (12) 20 ........ read

Leigh Centurions (16) 38 V Sheffield Eagles 8 (8) ........ read

Sheffield Eagles Academy (22) 36  Oldham Roughyeds (7) 40 ........ read

Dewsbury Rams (8) 14  Sheffield Eagles (12) 42 ........ read

Keighley Cougars (0) 24 Sheffield Eagles (42) 49 ........ read

Sheffield Eagles Academy (12) 24 Keighley Cougars (7) 25 ........ read

Sheffield Eagles Academy (12) 18 Doncaster Dragons (24) 46 ........ read

Sheffield Eagles Academy (10) 20 Dewsbury Rams Academy(26) 60 ........ read

Sheffield Eagles Academy (6) 6 Leigh Centurions (24) 58 ........ read

Whitehaven (12) 12 Sheffield Eagles (22) 62 ........ read

Play off Game - Doncaster Dragons (11) 31 Sheffield Eagles Academy (12) 16 ........ read

The Awards Evening .....the winners

Match Reports 2002

Sheffield Eagles Academy (22) 44 Whitehaven (10)16

5th May 2002

In their first match as a team the New Sheffield Eagles Academy Team, coached by John Winder and Andy Tyers, made an impressive start to their league campaign with a comprehensive win over an enthusiastic Cumbrian side.

After an early score for Eagles from experienced full back George Rayner, Whitehaven put the home side under sustained pressure for a number of sets before the visitors evened the scores on 15 minutes. The game was evenly balanced for the next ten minutes with each side applying pressure only to be thwarted before being able to put further points on the board. On 25 minutes after being awarded a penalty for interference in their own half Eagles completed a good attacking set with a wide passing move finished by strong running centre Nic Turnbull. Stringer goaled.

From the re-start Eagles' Simon Morton burst the defensive line to put Rayner in for his second try. Stringer again goaled. Eagles extended their lead on 34 minutes when winger Daryl Cheetham completed a good passing move. Stringer goaled. Just before the break Whitehaven got back into the game with an excellent try after a break from their own half. Campbell Goaled.

Whitehaven came out strong for a ten minute spell after the re-start but could not convert their possession into points. On 12 minutes it was Eagles who extended their lead when second rower Mitch Stringer took the ball from a penalty to force his way over the line. Ryan Rafferty Goaled. Rayner added his hat trick try for Eagles on 17 minutes, with Rafferty again kicking the conversion. Stringer took his second try with a tackle busting run from 5 metres on 21 minutes.
The visitors showed they were still in the game on 28 minutes when the scored from a good kick through near the posts, a score that Campbell again converted. Five minutes later the home side re-established their lead when Morton added his second try, again converted by Rafferty. This was an excellent start to the season for this young Eagles Academy side. Key performances came from the four professional members of the squad; Simon Morton was top tackler with 29, closely followed by Adam Carroll on 28. In attack Morton also featured with 15 drives with the ball, only 2 behind Mitch Stringer.

Sheffield: George Rayner (Pro U21); Darryl Cheetham; Nicholas Turnbull; Danny Brown; Andrew Copley; Bryn Evans; Ryan Rafferty; Jonothan Sharp; Adam Carroll (Pro); Tom Lyons; Simon Morton (Pro);Mitchel Stringer (Pro); Andy Gargan; Daniel Cook; Billy Glossop; Gareth Berry; Brett Staveley.

Sheffield Scorers :: Tries Rayner (3); Stringer (2); Morton, Turnbull, Cheetham.Goals: Stringer (3) Rafferty (3)

Whitehaven: Scott Lofthouse; Steven Dawes; John Lebbon; David Whitworth;Ryan Campbell; Tony Gregg; Liam Hall; Darren King; John Lowery; Matt Whalley; Dexter Miller; Dean Burgess; Scott Burgess;

Whitehaven Scorers: Tries King (2) Lebbon. Goals Campbell (2)

Referee :Mr.G.Hodgson

Next Saturday the side travel to Oldham for game 2 in this 16 match series.

SHEFFIELD EAGLES ACADEMY HAVE A GOAL KICKING CONNECTION TO THE OLD DAYS!
Ryan Rafferty, who scored 3 goals in the first league match, (which they also won 44 - 16), of their existence on 5th May 2002 against Whitehaven at Don Valley, is the son of an Eagles legend, Roy Rafferty, who still holds one of the club's kicking records, which dates back 15 years.

ROY RAFFERTY 1985 - 1988

Playing Record
 

Roy appeared for Eagles 87 times NEVER as a substitute. He was substituted 7 times and returned to the field twice. He was the scorer of 30 tries, 215 goals, and never scored a drop goal!, amassing 550 points for the Eagles before joining Doncaster for the 1988/89 season. The last season Roy played was the same season that Gary Hetherington put on his boots for the Eagles for the last time. The last game he played in was the match against Springfield Borough, which the Eagles lost 10 - 11, but Raff scored a goal. After this Springfield Borough metamorphised into Chorley Borough.

One of the records still in the history books of Sheffield Eagles is the match against Fulham in the '86/'87 season when he scored 12 goals in the match and 2 tries.The number of points (32) Roy scored is also still the highest number of points scored in a match by an Eagles player. Eagles won 68 - 14.

Back in the first season Roy played in eight matches and scored in all eight. The first points scored were in the win against Carlisle (16 - 11), 10th March 1985, when he scored one goal. His first try for the club was on the 17th April 1985 in the win against Keighley. Roy's one and only hat-trick was scored on 4th October 1987 against York, when he also scored 2 goals in the 20 - 17 victory. (Close scored the only other try for Eagles)
Interestingly enough Roy Rafferty played against Workington on the 5th May 1986 (Ryan's debut also being 5th May) when he scored 2 goals (Ryan -three!)

Other "notable" victories were over the other Cumbrian club Whitehaven in Sheffield, on 27th September 1987(Eagles won 18 - 13) when Roy scored 2 goals, and also against Whitehaven, on 28th April 1985, again in Sheffield (Eagles won 28 - 26), when he scored a try and 4 goals.
Whitehaven obviously is a team the Raffertys like!

©NRBorham 2002

Oldham Academy (4) 22 V Sheffield Eagles Academy (12) 20

11th May 2002

Commentators often speak of a game being one of two halves. This was different in that it was one of 3 distinct sections. For the first 30 minutes the teams were evenly matched; for the next 20 minutes Oldham were dominant scoring 4 tries in the period, 2 each side of half time. The final 30 minutes belonged to the Eagles who scored 3 tries during the period and came close 2 or three times more.

After a 4th minute penalty to the home side, Eagles under 21 winger Paul Wells responded on 7 minutes with a try out wide. There then followed a 20-minute period of missed opportunities and strong defending by both sides. Sheffield went on to make life difficult for themselves by coughing up possession to the home side on too many occasions during this and the following spell of Oldham domination. The positive interpretation of this for Eagles was that their errors were largely the result of them trying to go forward and keep the ball alive when safety first would have been a better option.

Two tries after the break took Oldham to a 22-4 lead. For most sides this would have been the signal for a rout with almost 30 minutes left to play. Not so for the Eagles Academy who dug in defence and began to take the game to Oldham. Eagles improved their completion rate when they had the ball and picked up the pace in attack, putting the home defence on the back foot on a number of occasions as they struggled to keep up with the re-invigorated Sheffield side. Tries on 57 minutes, 61 minutes and 73 minutes for Stringer, Wells and Carroll respectively took the visitors to the verge of victory. Although they pushed hard in the dying minutes they were unable to complete the job on this occasion.

Nevertheless, against one of the sides pipped for honours this season, the Eagles players can be confident of a good season as they look to improve in a number of quarters, whilst taking great comfort from a spirited fight back under the charismatic leadership of Simon Morton.

Top tacklers were Carroll (21), Morton (18) and ex York Wasps loose forward Andy Gargan (15). Leading the attacking drives were Morton (14 hit ups), Stringer (12) and Hoyland prospect Nick Turnbull (11).

Sheffield Team:Andrew Copley; Darryl Cheetham; Nicholas Turnbull; Danny Brown;Paul Wells (Pro U21) ; Bryn Evans; Ryan Rafferty; Jonothan Sharp; Adam Carroll (Pro); Tom Lyons; Simon Morton (Pro); Mitchel Stringer (Pro); Andy Gargan; Subs Daniel Cook; Billy Glossop; Gareth Berry; Brett Staveley.

Sheffield Scorers: Tries: Wells (2);Carroll; Stringer. Goals: Stringer (2)

Barrow Academy (14) 36 v. Sheffield Eagles Academy (12) 12
18th May 2002
 

FRACTURED JAW IS KNOCK OUT PUNCH FOR EAGLES

Despite suffering the set back of conceding a converted try in the first minute, the young Eagles had a very bright opening 20 minutes with two converted tries taking them into a 12-6 lead during the period. The first score for Sheffield came from a piece of individual brilliance from debut scrum half, ex York Wasps player Ritchie Hunter. Taking the ball at first receiver 25 metres from the Barrow line, Hunter drew the defence and threw a great dummy before ghosting through the line to dart in for a try. On 13 minutes, hooker Adam Carroll took the ball from acting half about 5 metres out, taking on the defence on the blind side of the ruck before touching down, despite the attentions of three defenders. Mitch Stringer converted with a great kick one metre in from the touchline.
A serious injury on 25 minutes to prop Tom Lyons seemed to have an adverse affect on the Eagles side whose ball retention between then and the break fell went to pieces. Two tries before the break put Barrow into a 14-12 interval lead, which was extended immediately on the re-start with a converted try. A sin-binning for Sheffield added to their woes as Barrow ran in two further converted tries whilst the team was a man down.
Although Eagles managed to limit Barrow to a single try during the last 30 minutes of the game they could not add to their own tally during the period, despite some good breaks from Stringer, Morton and new signing Jon Breakingbury.

Latest report on 16 year old ex York Wasps player, Tom Lyons, is that he suffered a double fracture of the jaw whilst making a tackle. Early surgery is planned and but it could be a couple of months before this excellent forward prospect is able to get back in the Eagles colours.

Top tacklers for Sheffield were Simon Morton (28) and loose forward Andy Gargan (24).

Sheffield Team: Rob Watson; Stu Jones; Nicholas Turnbull; Jon Breakingbury ;Andrew Copley; Ryan Rafferty; Ritchie Hunter; Tom Lyons; Adam Carroll ;Mitchel Stringer ; Simon Morton ;Danny Brown; Andy Gargan;
Subs: Ricky Reckless; Daniel Cook; Stu Perry; Brett Staveley, Jonothan Sharp

Sheffield Scorers : Tries: Carroll; Hunter . Goals: Stringer (2)

There is something special about rugby matches between Sheffield and Doncaster which have been, albeit for a short period of time, in the terms of rugby league, passionate. It hasn't restricted the enthusiasm with which games are played, at any level, from schoolboy to professional level. Today sees another of these encounters, with the newly formed Eagles Academy playing against the local "foe". Both clubs have "home grown" talent, which bodes well for the future of rugby league in the area.
There have been quite a few connections between the two clubs in the past and hopefully that passion shown in the past will continue on the pitch today and in the future.
Mark Aston said, when Eagles reformed back in November 1999, that he wanted to have a Sheffield team containing Sheffield and South Yorkshire players. The way he hoped he would achieve this was to have a youth policy, which meant development and recruitment at "grass roots" level. Two and a half years later that "dream" is becoming a reality. The Eagles Academy was "born" in April 2002 and it contains lads from several areas, but more importantly there are several from Sheffield and South Yorkshire.
The Eagles, like the Dragons, are not in the "heartland" of rugby league, but both clubs are demonstrating that rugby league is alive and looking for the recognition it deserves.
So far the young Eagles have, comprehensively beaten Whitehaven in their first game together, lost a close match against Oldham and been beaten in Barrow, and young Tom Lyons collected a double fracture of his jaw in the process. (We all wish him a speedy recovery.)
Lets' hope that today's match provides another exciting "derby", and that all the visitors from Doncaster have a save journey home.
©NRB2002

Doncaster Dragons Academy (26) 56 V Sheffield Eagles Academy (10) 14

26th May 2002
 

There was little to shout about for Eagles as they stuttered to their third away defeat in a row conceding 11 tries against local rivals Doncaster Dragons.

First half tries by Simon Morton and Mitchel Stringer and a conversion by Ryan rafferty kept Sheffield in touch at the break. When winger Daryl Cheetham finished off a good passing move 3 minutes into the second period a fight back was still on the cards with the score at 26 -14. Unfortunately for the Sheffield side the rest of the game was dominated by the home side as Eagles squandered possession and began to fall off their tackles as fatigue took its toll.

There were sound performances in defence by Adam Carroll and Andy Gargan as 16 year old Carl Walker shone on his debut at centre.

Next week the Eagles return to Don Valley for their second home fixture as they look to get back into winning ways. They will be entertaining Barrow Border Raiders and looking for revenge for the away defeat of only a week ago.


Sheffield Team:
1. Gareth Barnard 2. Andrew Copley 3. Nicholas Turnbull 4. Carl Walker 5. Stu Perry 6. Ryan Rafferty 7. Ritchi Hunter 8. Ricki Reckless 9.Adam Carroll  10.Mitchell Stringer  11. Simon Morton 12.Danny Brown 13. Andy Gargan; Subs; 14.Darryl Cheetham; 15. Jonothan Sharp 16. Marc Bull 17.Rob Watson


Sheffield Scorers : Tries: Morton; Stringer; Cheetham.  Goals: Rafferty

Sheffield Eagles Academy (17) 35 Barrow Raiders (12) 20

2nd June 2002

PAYBACK TIME FOR EAGLES AGAINST RAIDERS

Barrow had the Eagles on the ropes with some strong running taking the lead on 7 minutes with a try by Pate which he converted himself. Sheffield redressed the balance on 14 with a try by Barnard, converted by Stringer, and then finished a good attacking set with a drop goal by Evans on 21minutes. A minute later Eagles had another good set of attacking play and Nick Turnball went over for Eagles second try which was successfully converted by Stringer. After 10 minutes of untidy play by both sides Barrow went in for a try scored by White and converted by Pate. Two minutes later Paul Wells went in for his try which was also converted by Stringer, and the half ended with Eagles being 17 points to 12 up.
In the second half Sheffield controlled things better, with Mitchell Stringer scoring a try, which he duly converted, two minutes after the restart, followed by another try 10 minutes later by Bull and yet again converted by Stringer. Barrow struck back 10 minutes later with a try by Jefferson which Parkinson failed to convert. The game was played a great speed and on 75 minutes, Jack Howieson powered over for his first points of the season after knee surgery and the ever reliable boot of Stringer tagged on the two extra points which gave Eagles an unassailable lead. The Barrow lads did not give up though, and White went in for his second and Barrow's fourth try, which Patterson again failed to convert.
 

Sheffield: 1.Ryan Rafferty 2.Darryl Cheetham 3.Nicholas Turnbull 4.Paul Wells 5.Gareth Barnard 6.Bryn Evans 7.Ritchie Hunter 8.Jack Howieson 9.Adam Carroll 10. Mitchell Stringer 11.Simon Morton(Capt) 12. Rickie Reckless 13.Andy Gargan Subs:14.Daniel Cook; 15.Gareth Berry; 16.Billy Glossop; 17.Marc Bull.

Sheffield Scorers: Tries Barnard; Stringer; Wells; Turnbull; Howieson; Bull. Goals: Stringer (5) Drop Goal: Evans

Barrow Raiders
1.Matt Jefferson; 2.Chris Oldcorn;3.Ade White; 4.David Rushton;5.Liam Fich; 6.Adam Pate;7.Colin Thompson; 8.Matt Shaw;9. Phil Cubiss;10. Russ Brown; 11.Ian Armstrong; 12.Matt Parkinson;13. Barry Pugh; Subs:14.Mike Kummer;15. Adam Harrison;16. Simon Darby;17. Martin Comish;

Barrow scorers : Tries: Pate, White (2), Jefferson. Goals Pate (2)

Leigh Centurions (16) 38 V Sheffield Eagles 8 (8)
9th June 2002

A visit to the runaway league leaders did not phase the Eagles Academy who matched the Lancashire side for the first hour before tired legs and the conditions got the better of them as the Centurions ran in 3 late tries.

Sheffield took an early lead with a penalty from Stringer after Leigh were pulled up for a foul on 7 minutes. When the home side replied with two tries in 4 minutes it looked like this could be a long afternoon as they took the score to 10-2. Good handling by the Eagles brought them back into the game however as Stringer finished off a good passing move to score in the corner before converting his own try to put the score at 10-8.

Although Leigh added a further converted try before the break the Eagles had put the home side under pressure on a number of occasions.

As the heavy rain continued to fall in the second period Leigh ran in an early try before Eagles took control for a 20-minute period. Unfortunately the Sheffield players were not able to turn their good ball retention during this period into points on the board.

During the last quarter the Eagles error count rose sharply and the well-drilled Leigh side were quick to capitalise on the loose ball before the final whistle.

Despite the scoreline this was a good all round performance by the Eagles Academy whose players did not look out of place in this good class company. The first half was probably the best 40 minutes of play that the side has produced this season and the final result was somewhat flattering to the home side.

In defence Lee Bettinson led the way in his first outing at this level this year (27 tackles) whilst team captain Simon Morton (26 tackles) and loose forward Andy Gargan (23 tackles) put in their usual workmanlike performances.

In attack Mitch Stringer made 14 drives closely followed by centres Paul Wells and Nick Turnbull and full back Gareth Barnard all on 11 hit ups with the ball.

Sheffield Team:
Gareth Barnard, Gareth Berry, Danny Brown, Marc Bull(sub), Andrew Copley, Bryn Evans, Andy Gargan, Billy Glossop(sub), Ritchie Hunter(sub), Rickie Rechless, Nick Turnball, Rob Watson(sub), Adam Carroll, Simon Morton (Capt.), Mitchell Stringer, Paul Wells, Lee Bettinson.

Scorers: Try: Stringer. Goals: Stringer (2)

Sheffield Eagles Academy (22) 36  Oldham Roughyeds (7) 40
16th June 2002

The two sides shared fourteen tries in this thrilling but untidy game. The Eagles forwards dominated the play in the first period but were unable to finish the job in the second half as the visitors ran in 33 points. The lead changed hands twice in the closing quarter but Oldham clinched victory with a converted try with 5 minutes remaining. A drop goal on full time snuffed out any hope of an Eagles recovery as a penalty and the two field goals separated the two sides at the close.
 

The young Eagles started off this warm, sunny, Sunday afternoon at Don Valley at a blistering pace and opened the scoring, with his first try for the Academy, by the Welsh three-quarter, Jon Breakingbury, busting through the Oldham defence within the first minute. It was goaled by Mitch Stringer. Four minutes later, Paul Wells, who was playing in the 2nd row, powered through to increase the lead to 10 points. Stringer converted this try as well.

This start was encouraging after last weeks's damp and bruising game against Leigh. Two minutes later, Oldham's Lancashire popped over a penalty after some careless play by the Eagles. The game calmed down for 10 minutes until Landsman went over for Oldham's first try, which Lancashire failed to convert. There were several good sets of play until Lancashire, from a good 35 m. out dropped a goal to bring the score to 12 points to 7.

This seemed to kick the Eagles into action and a minute later Jack Howieson powered over to increase the lead. Unfortunately Stringer couldn't add the extras. Eagles were taking the game to Oldham but didn't add any more points until the 32nd minute, when Lee Bettinson scored his debut try for the Academy, and Eagles fourth try, which was goaled by Stringer.

This was the end of the scoring for the first half, which was very much what had been wanted. Wells and Breakingbury both crossed the line again but had their tries disallowed for infringements and Simon Morton had a superb chance to add to the score but unfortunately knocked on within inches of the line.

HALF TIME:- EAGLES 22 OLDHAM 7

Oldham had obviously not read the script correctly and came out for the second half like a rocket and Dave Hulbert went in for Oldham's 2nd try which Paul Bennett failed to convert. A try by Nick Turnball on the 47th minute restored the 15 point gap, but Oldham fought back again and Bennett scored for Oldham, converted by Lancashire. Again the Eagles battled back and Breakingbury went through the Oldham defence for his second try of the afternoon. The young lads then started trying to be more adventurous, by throwing the ball about and consequently threw it too far and Landsman intercepted the pass and ran a good 80 metres to score under the posts. Converted by Lancashire.

Oldham had now got the momentum they needed and in the next ten minutes went in for two more tries from Carter and Mitchell, one of them being converted by Lancashire. Oldham were in the lead for the first time, at 32 - 33, and this lead lasted for all of 6 minutes when Breakingbury went in for his third try.

Again the lead only lasted two minutes as Lancashire powered in for his try, which he duly converted.

With only six minutes left, Eagles squandered possession, lost the ball too often and gave away stupid penalties, which allowed Oldham to keep the pressure on and with approximately a minute left on the clock, Bennett scored the final point with a drop-goal and left the Eagles wondering why they had let such a useful lead disappear in a game they should and could have won easily.



Sheffield: Gareth Barnard; Andy Copley; Jon Breakingbury; Nicholas Turnbull; Stu Jones;Lee Bettinson (Pro U21)Dan Cook; Jack Howieson (Pro U21); Marc Bull; Mitchell Stringer (Pro); Simon Morton (Pro) (Capt); Paul Wells (Pro U21); Andy Gargan; Subs: Brett Staveley; Ritchie Hunter; Rob Watson; Rickie Reckless.

Sheffield Scorers - Tries: Breakingbury (3), Bettinson, Wells, Turnbull, Howieson. Goals: Stringer (4)

Oldham Roughyeds: Matty Harland; Dave Hulbert; Chris Carter; Trent Landsman; Mike Grady;Paul Bennett; Keil Lancashire; Ryan Hollis; James Hanklin; Danny Nanyn; David Norcross; Steve Brown; Gavin Johnson; Danny Haywood; James Kirkland; Andy Gorey; John Mitchell; Michael Rowe.

Oldham Roughyeds Scorers: Tries: Landsman (2); Lancashire; Bennett; Carter; Hulbert; Mitchell. Goals: Lancashire (5) Drop Goal: Bennett; Lancashire

Dewsbury Rams (8) 14  Sheffield Eagles (12) 42
23rd June 2002

EAGLES GO ON RAM RAID

After a number of matches in which they had failed to live up to their high potential, the Eagles finally got it together to put on a spectacular 2nd half display in which they scored 6 tries and 30 points from a 70% set completion rate.

The first half started well for Sheffield who scored after 7 minutes. They took the ball to the 30 metre line of the Rams who allowed a high kick to bounce before being recovered by the Eagles who passed out wide to the left where Rob Watson scored at the corner. Mitchell Stringer kicked an excellent conversion in blustery conditions.

In an untidy 20-minute spell there were knock-ons a plenty and a series of penalties against both sides for holding down in the tackles. On 16 minutes the Rams levelled the scores after creating an overlap for their winger to race 60 metres to score. A converted penalty on 20 minutes gave the home side an 8-6 lead before the Eagles reasserted their dominance on 29 minutes. A penalty for offside on the Rams 10 m line was taken quickly by scrum half Ritchie Hunter, who caught the defence napping as he skipped round the full back to give Stringer and easier conversion in front of the posts.

The last 10 minutes of the half saw Eagles pinned on their own line for a series of sets of tackles but the solid defence was able to repel all that the home side had to offer. Half time 8 - 12.

Eagles extended their lead only 3 minutes into the second stanza when Hunter pierced the Dewsbury defence after a storming attacking set. From the play the ball close to the line Stringer burst over for a try.

Much better ball control and retention was paying off for Sheffield who scored again on their 5th completed set of the half. A series of solid attacking runs took them to the home side's 10-metre line where the Eagles ran the ball after the fifth tackle to put Jon Breakingbury in at the left corner flag.

After a brief untidy spell Eagles got back in step on 21 minutes when they drove the ball 60 metres in a 5 tackle set that finished on the Rams 5 metre line. On the last play a set move saw the acting half dummy to both sides of the ruck before Stringer took the ball and burst over the line to score.

Not content with making tries for other players Adam Carroll was next to score, running in from a play the ball 5 metres out after sending the defence the wrong way with a practised dummy. Stringer converted his first kick of the half against the high wind to take the score to 8 - 30.

Dewsbury pulled back a try and a goal on 30 minutes after eagles had knocked on half way and the home side again created an overlap out wide for the winger to race in.

Two converted tries for the Eagles in the final 7 minutes highlighted the difference between the two sides. First the Rams gave away 30 metres in successive penalties for foul play, dissent and then offside. The final penalty on the Rams 10 m line led to a play the ball from which the speedy and elusive Carroll again wrong footed the defence for his second try of the game.

The final score came after the ball was kicked dead by the Rams over the Eagles line. Five strong plays took Sheffield to the Dewsbury 20-metre line where Stringer finished an excellent passing move to score under the posts.

First teamer Lee Bettinson led the defence with 24 tackles whilst trialist Andy Raleigh but in an excellent performance with 17 tackles and 10 effective hit ups with the ball. Mitchell Stringer was back to his best with 20 drives with the ball and centre partnership of Jon Breakingbury and Nick Turnbull was very productive as the 2 players shared 30 drives between them.

Team:Gareth Barnard, Andy Copley, Jon Breakingbury, Nick Turnbull, Rob Watson, Lee Bettinson, Ritchie Hunter, Ricky Reckless, Adam Carroll, Mitch Stringer, Simon Morton, Andy Raleigh, Andy Gargan, Brett Stavely, Jon Sharp, Stu Perry and Gareth Berry.

Scorers tries: Watson, Hunter, Stringer (3), Breakingbury, Carroll(2). Goals: Stringer (5)

Dewsbury Scorers: Tries: No. 3, No.16. Goals: No.7 (2 conv. + 1 pen)

Keighley Cougars (0) 24 Sheffield Eagles (42) 49
30th June 2002

In a storming first half display Eagles bettered last weeks second half display running in 7 tries and 42 points. By the break the game was won but it was still something of a disappointment that the Sheffield boys allowed the table's bottom side to put in 5 tries and two goals in the final 30 minutes of the game.

Captain Simon Morton opened the scoring for Eagles on 8 minutes after Stringer took the ball through the defence on a characteristic barnstorming run before laying off a great off-load for his forward colleague to scoot in from 10 metres out. Stringer goaled.

All the play was confined to the Keighley half and on 14 minutes loose forward Andy Gargan jinked his way through the defence from 10 metres out to score close to the home posts. Stringer goaled.

Four minutes later it was the turn of the Eagles back line to get on the score sheet when a good cross field passing move stretched the home defence to allow right winger Andy Copley to score in the corner. Stringer again goaled with an excellent kick in windy conditions.

Almost from the re-start Eagles once again took the ball to the Cougars 40 metre zone where winger Stu Jones kept the ball from going into touch with some deft handling before sprinting to centre field. A good lay off to his centre partner Jon Breakingbury followed, and the tough running Welshman outpaced the defence to score close to the corner flag. Stringer goaled to demonstrate his ability from both sides of the field.

A short period of Keighley possession followed but the strong Eagles defence was demonstrated to keep the home side's score sheet blank. On 28 minutes Mitchell Stringer crossed for a try after bursting through a series of attempted tackles, before converting his own try.

Keighley again responded with a good attacking set after recovering their kick off. This time their efforts were thwarted when scrum half Ritchie Hunter anticipated a set play involving a number of dummy runners to pluck a pass from the air and run 60 metres to score a try under the home side's posts. Stringer again goaled.

Just before the break hooker Adam Carroll dummied left and then right before laying up a short pass for Stringer to bust through the ruck area to score near the posts. Stringer then finished the half with his seventh kick from as many attempts.

Half time: Keighley 0 - Sheffield 42

The second half began as the first had ended and on 11 minutes Andy Gargan followed Stringer as he burst through the home defence and took a neat off-load to score near the posts. Stringer goaled to take the score to 0 - 48.

The next 30 minutes was something of a coach's nightmare for the Eagles staff as the Sheffield players gave away a series of penalties and spilt the ball with monotonous regularity to allow the home side to run in 5 tries without response. Only the failure of the home kicker in 3 from 5 attempts kept the scores a comfortable distance apart for the visitors.

Stringer completed the scoring with a calming dropped goal for Eagles on the final whistle.

With next week-end off the Eagles Academy will be eager to get back into action on Sunday week (14th July) when Workington are the visitors at Don Valley in a curtain raiser to the first team game against the same opponents.

Trialist Andy Raleigh, first team favourite Jack Howieson and Mitchell Stringer led the defence Mitchell Stringer also broke his own club record with his 25 point total. Centre partners Nick Turnbull and Jon Breakingbury also put in a tremendous amount of work in attack.

Sheffield Team:
1. Rob Watson, 2. Andy Copley, 3. Jon Breakingbury, 4.Nick Turnbull, 5. Stu Jones, 6. Bryn Evans, 7. Ritchie Hunter, 8. Jack Howieson, 9. Adam Carroll, 10. Mitch Stringer, 11. Simon Morton(Capt), 12. Andy Raleigh, 13. Andy Gargan. Subs: 14. Brett Stavely, 15. Dan Cook, 16. Stu Perry, 17. Ricky Reckless.

Shefield Scorers
Tries: Hunter, Stringer (2), Breakingbury, Gargan (2), Copley, Morton. Goals: Stringer (8)
Drop Goal: Stringer (1)

Sheffield Eagles Academy (12) 24 Keighley Cougars (7) 25

27th July 2002

Although Eagles scored 5 tries to the 4 of Keighley, it was the kicking game that decided the result. Unfortunately Eagles missed four conversions. Disappointingly though, it was a penalty kick for Keighley awarded 7 minutes into the game that proved most controversial. A touch judge entered the field of play for an infringement on the visitors 45 metre line; by the time the referee had seen his colleague and called the game to a halt, the game had moved on to the Eagles 45 metre line. Instead of taking the Keighley kicker back to the point of the original offence the referee inadvertently awarded the kick from the point where the game was stopped. In the event the Keighley kicker executed an excellent kick to take the 2 points but it is unlikely he would have attempted the kick from the correct position.

In a see-saw match it was the visitors who scored first. From the kick off Eagles were unable to keep the ball in play. A scrum followed and after drawing the home defence to their left play was switched back to the right where a long ball to the Keighley winger left him in open space at the corner flag. The 7 minute penalty took them into a 6 point lead.

On 17 minutes Eagles got back in the game when prop forward Mitchel Stringer took the ball from 5 metres out to burst through the defensive line. Stringer converted the kick to level the scores. Ten minutes later the Sheffield boys took the lead when a good passing move on the right ended with centre Nic Turnbull running through the defence before drawing the full back and putting winger Stu Jones clear. Score 10-6.

After a lengthy attacking phase Keighley kicked a drop goal to maintain their momentum. On the half time whistle Stringer extended Eagles' lead with a penalty under the visitors posts.

Half time - 12-7.

The second period started badly for Eagles when 5 minutes into the half Keighley put in a chip kick on the 5th tackle, this was only half caught by an Eagles player before being recovered by the Keighley player who
laid off a good pass for an easy run in from centre field. The added goal gave Keighley the lead 12-13.

A series of good attacking plays for Eagles followed one of which led to a disallowed try after scrum half Hunter cut through the defence. Although he easily made the try line despite the attentions of a Keighley defender, the referee decided that the tackle had been completed before the line and so a penalty was awarded to Keighley for a double movement.

The Sheffield side's perseverance was rewarded on 17 minutes when half back Lee Bettinson kicked ahead from his own 30 metre line on the 5th tackle. Utility back Ryan Rafferty, playing on the wing on this occasion showed a stunning turn of speed to win the race to the ball which bounced kindly into his arms for him to score.

Score 16-13.

On 25 minutes Eagles extended their lead when loose forward Andy Gargan dummied to pass to an inside runner before skipping through the defensive line to score out wide.

Score 20-13.

Keighley fought back in the next ten minutes scoring 2 converted tries without reply. The first came from a passing move on the blind side where Eagles were found wanting in defensive numbers which allowed a Keighley runner to break the line and score under the posts. Their final try came from a kick through the defensive line on the 4th tackle. With all the defensive line moving up the Keighley kicker followed his kick and scored deep into the in-goal area.

A last gasp try by Eagles on 40 minutes came after an 11 pass move on the 5th tackle, with Nick Turnbull scoring wide on the left. The final kick of the game from Mitchel Stringer dropped just short of the posts and as the referee blew for full time it was the visitors who were celebrating whilst the Eagles pondered what might have been.


Sheffield:1. Rob Watson, 2. Stu Jones, 3. NickTurnbull, 4. Stu Perry, 5.Ryan Rafferty, 6. Lee Bettinson, 7.Ritchie Hunter, 8. Gareth Berry, 9. Adam Carroll, 10. Mitchel Stringer, 11. Simon Morton, 12. Ricki Reckless, 13. Andy Gargan, Subs: 14. Daniel Cook, 15. Jon Sharp, 16. Brett Staveley, 17. Billy Glossop.

Sheffield Scorers :Tries Stringer, Jones, Rafferty, Gargan, Turnbull . Goals Stringer 2

Keighley: Adam Mitchell, Adam Webster, Peter Hilliam, Steve Cullen, Richard Broughton, Brady Godfrey, Richard Blackburn, Scott Bellamy, Andy Feather, Auster Beaumont, David Armitage, James Feather, Wayne Bradley, Adam Beaumont, James Robinson, Chris Cooper, John Carter
 

Sheffield Eagles Academy (12) 18 Doncaster Dragons (24) 46

10th August 2002

It was an Eagles side depleted by injuries, holidays and call-ups to first team duty, which met a strong Doncaster side in this local derby at Don Valley. Although honours were even for the first quarter of an hour the visitors edged ahead from that time and scored three tries before the Eagles pulled back a try and goal just before the break.

The first score came on 4 minutes when Wayne Green cut through the defence to run in a try that he then converted. On 10 minutes Eagles replied following the awarding of a penalty on the Dragons 10 metre line for offside. From the tap penalty a series of power plays followed before Gareth Berry burst through for Eagles from close range. Stringer converted.

A further try, a penalty and a converted try completed the visitors first half scores before Eagles replied on 37 minutes. Taking the ball into the visitors 10 metre zone, Eagles decided to run the ball on the 5th tackle and Berry once again drew in the tacklers as he neared the line before laying off a great ball to second rower Brett Staveley who crossed close to the corner flag. Stringer converted.


The home side toughed out the first 10 minutes of the second period and were unlucky not to be the first to score in the half when left winger Andy Copley took a pass following a scrum only to be tackled out of play inches short of the visitors line. Ironically, from the resulting scrum, it was Doncaster who scored after stand off Green jinked his way on a 50 metre run through countless tackles before laying off a good pass to a supporting player.

A collapse by the home side looked on the cards when, from the kick off the Dragons prop burst through a flagging defensive line to go the full way to the Eagles line. Green converted to take the score to 12-34. On 20 minutes the Dragons scored again, when, not for the first time, they ran the ball on the 5th tackle, taking advantage of the fact that the Eagles wingers had dropped back to cover the kick that never came. The try was converted by Green.

Eagles then had a good spell of play having a further try disallowed, this time for a forward pass when Andy Gargan drew the defence and threw an overhead pass to winger Bryn Evans.

Although Doncaster added a further converted try on 34 minutes it was the Eagles who completed the scoring when a good passing move in the visitors 20 metre zone was completed by full back Rob Watson stepping past 3 defenders to score beneath the posts. Stringer converted .

Gareth Berry had his best game of the season.

[Top tacklers for Eagles were Andy Gargan (22), Gareth Berry (18)and Ricky Reckless (17). Top hit ups came from Berry (12).]


Sheffield Team:1. Watson; 2. Cook; 3. Brown; 4. Perry; 5. Copley; 6. Evans; 7. Hunter; 8. Berry; 9. Glossop; 10. Stringer; 11. Reckless; 12. Staveley; 13. Gargan.

Sheffield Scorers: Tries; Rob Watson, Gareth Berry, Brett Staveley.Goals: Stringer (3)

Doncaster Scorers: Tries: Mick Sykes (3), Wayne Green (2), Austin Huntley, Shaun Archer, Chris Cummings. Goals: Wayne Green (7)

Sheffield Eagles Academy (10) 20 Dewsbury Rams Academy(26) 60

18th August 2002
 

Although the Eagles side saw the welcome return of Simon Morton and Adam Carroll from first team duty over recent weeks, these two alone were not enough to stem the tide of forceful running from the experienced Dewsbury side in the absence of a number of regular team members.

From the kick off the home side gifted the Rams a try after allowing the ball to bounce into touch and then being too slow to see the danger from the ensuing scrum. Eagles were soon back in the game when loose-forward Andy Gargan finished off an attacking spell by bursting through from close range to score. The conversion from Bryn Evans saw the Sheffield side in front on 8 minutes for the only time in the game.

From the re-start another Eagles mistake saw them dropping out from their own line from which the inventive Dewsbury side ran the ball back for a try.

After a further Rams try on 15 minutes to take the score to 6 - 12 there was a 10 minute period when the Eagles could have got back into the game but were denied a score by last ditch tackles by the visitors defence. A penalty for lying on took the score to 6 -14, before 2 more converted tries in the last 10 minutes looked to have put paid to the home side's efforts.

Just before the break Eagles were awarded a series of penalties as the visitors lay on at the tackle and strayed offside to quash the Eagles efforts. From the final penalty, 10 metres from the Rams line, the ball was sent quickly out wide to the right where Stu Jones was on hand to score.

The second half began like the first with an exchange of tries in the first 4 minutes as first Dewsbury crossed the line on 1 minute then Ritchie Hunter went in for Eagles.

For the Eagles the next 30 minutes were agony, as a procession of Dewsbury players ran in tries at regular intervals without reply. It was not until the 34th minute, with the score at 14 - 60 that Eagles managed to once again cross the visitors line when Andy Gargan scored his second try, which Evans converted.

[Top tacklers for Eagles were Andy Gargan (25), Simon Morton (24) and Adam Carroll (23). Top hit ups came from Simon Morton (15) and Danny Brown (9)]

Sheffield Team:1. Watson, 2. Perry, 3. Jones, 4. Brown, 5.Cook, 6.Evans, 7.Hunter, 8. Sharp, 9. Carroll, 10. Wilkinson, 11. Morton, 12. Staveley, 13. Gargan, 14. Glossop, 15. Breakingbury.

Sheffield scorers: Tries; Andy Gargan (2), Stu Jones, Ritchie Hunter. Goals Bryn Evans (2)

Dewsbury Scorers: Tries: Craig Miles (4), Ian Preece, Mick Butterfield, Adam Chappel, Ash Lindsey, Ash Fortis, Andy Fowkes, Paul Fellows. Goals:Mick Hill (6), George Mack (2)

Sheffield Eagles Academy (6) 6 Leigh Centurions (24) 58

25th August 2002
 

Leigh continued their inevitable journey towards the league championship as they made it 13 wins from 13 games, despite the Eagles putting up some lengthy periods of strong resistance, particularly in the first period.

Although the visitors scored on 5 minutes , it was a further 15 minutes before they were able to add to their four points lead. During this time the home side had come close on a number of occasions, completing 5 sets of 6 during that period. Only last ditch tackling by Leigh prevented the Eagles from levelling the scores. Leigh scored again on 25 minutes but 3 missed conversions had left their lead at only 12 - 0 at that time. On 29 minutes the Sheffield side's pressure paid off, when Simon Morton was rewarded for his workmanlike performance with a try. He took an inside pass then burst through the defence from 10 metres. Lee Bettinson converted to make the score a respectable 6 - 12.

From the re-start Leigh managed to recover the ball from a short kick off and then extended their lead with a try and their first conversion. On the stroke of half time the visitors added to their score with a converted try. The Eagles really did deserve more for their efforts but the strong running and quick thinking from the visitors denied them of their just rewards.

With the home side having only one substitute their tiring forwards worked hard for the second stanza but could not stem the inevitable tide from Leigh who ran in 7 tries without reply.


[Top tacklers for Eagles were Morton on 32, Gargan on 38 and Bettinson on 25. Top hit ups came from Paul Wells (15) Lee Bettinson (13)].


Sheffield: 1. Rob Watson, 2. Stu Jones, 3. Jon Breakingbury, 4. Paul Wells, 5. Bryn Evans, 6. Dan Cook, 7. Ritchie Hunter, 8. Jon Sharp, 9. Lee Bettinson, 10. Simon Morton, 11. Brett Staveley, 12. Danny Brown, 13. Andy Gargan, 14. Matt Wilkinson.

Sheffield Scorers - Tries: Morton. Goals Bettinson

Leigh Centurions: Chris Smith, David Ashton, Chris Mellor, Chris Humphries, Sean Prescott, Ian Hodson (capt), Steven Bennett, Pete Fairhurst, Martin Meadows, Peter Clark, Darren Woods, Danny Mole, Anthony Blackwood, Steve Cooper, Neil Parr, Chris Patman, Chris Baines.

Leigh scorers- Tries: Chris Smith, Meadows, Fairhurst, Blackwood (2), Parr, Woods (4), Humphries, Pitman.
Goals: Woods (5)

WHITEHAVEN WHIPPED BY WELLS

Whitehaven (12) 12 Sheffield Eagles (22) 62

31st August 2002

Faced with a Sheffield side that included 8 players who had seen first team action in recent weeks, any team would have had their work cut out containing the Eagles youngsters. In the end the Whitehaven outfit battled gamely for the first 40 minutes, first taking the lead in the opening minutes and then drawing back into the game with a try just before half time.

The second half was a different matter however, as Sheffield first ran in 2 tries in a 5-minute spell in the middle of the half then finished off with 3 more in the last 10 minutes of the game.

Nick Turnbull, fresh back from holiday, opened the scoring for Eagles, powering over after a good passing move. Mitchell Stringer converted to level the scores at 6-6. On 17 minutes winger Paul Wells scored the first of his 5 tries with a great solo effort, storming down the touchline from half way past 3 or 4 defenders. Stringer converted. Whitehaven then held their own for a period with some good attacking plays that at one stage saw the Sheffield defence withstand two defensive sets in succession on their own line after some uncharacteristic indiscipline by the Eagles players.

Scrum half Ritchie Hunter jinxed his way past the defence after some good support play on 26 minutes, whilst Paul Wells finished off a passing move on the left wing before the break. Stringer converted one from these two attempts. Winger Andy Copley settled things down for the visitors 6 minutes into the second half after another great passing move that took the ball from one touchline to the other.

There was then a period of calm as both defences held firm in the face of strong attacking plays. The home side finally cracked on 15 minutes as Eagles first had a player held up over the line, before winger Paul Wells took the ball from the ensuing scrum to score his hat trick try. Stringer converted.

From the re-start Sheffield collected the ball and made their way to centre field where utility back Bryn Evans, playing full back for the day, joined the attack as an extra man and beat the defence with some good footwork. Finally faced with just the full back to beat Bryn unselfishly laid off a good pass to Paul Wells in support for his 4th try. Stringer converted. The home side came close to scoring next as their full back decided to kick the ball after Eagles had kicked it towards him on their fifth tackle. The Whitehaven player first beat Adam Carroll to the ball and kicked further ahead before Paul Wells shoulder charged him off the ball as he was kicking ahead again. Fortunately the ball went into touch giving Eagles the re-start from the scrum.

Eagles took the ball back into the Whitehaven half where half back Lee Bettinson drew the defence and put in a great pass for Andy Raleigh to gallop through a gap to score close to the posts. Stringer converted. From the re-start Eagles took the ball straight back to home territory, where hooker Adam Carroll took the ball from acting half back and charged his way through a packed defence from 2 metres. Stringer goaled. Eagles took the ball forward again. Whitehaven were eager to cut down their options but were caught offside in their own half. Lee Bettinson took a quick tap then again drew the defence before putting Paul Wells in for his 5th and final try. Stringer goaled.

Eagles final try came when Andy Raleigh crowned a fine game by taking on the beleaguered defence which cracked under the pressure of his forceful running. Lee Bettinson tracked him the 40 metres to the posts but was not needed as the second rower touched down under the posts. Stringer goaled.


With a completion rate of only 55%, the Eagles side have potential to do much better - which they may have to do as they enter the play-off stage of the season with an away fixture next Saturday at local rivals Doncaster.
who finished 3rd.

Eagles finished the season in 6th place (of 8 teams) with 5 wins from 14 outings.

Sheffield Team: 1. Bryn Evans;2. Andy Copley; 3. Jon Breakingbury ;4. Nicholas Turnbull ;5. Paul Wells ; 6. Lee Bettinson ;7. Ritchie Hunter;8. Simon Morton (Capt); 9. Adam Carroll ;10. Mitchel Stringer ; 11.Danny Brown; 12. Andy Raleigh ;13. Andy Gargan; 14.Tom Lyons; 15. Brett Staveley;16. Jonathan Sharp;17. Stu Perry

Sheffield Scorers : Tries Wells (5 - five), Raleigh (2) Turnbull, Hunter, Copley, Carroll. Goals: Stringer (9)

Academy Play-off

Doncaster Dragons (11) 31 Sheffield Eagles Academy (12) 16

7th September 2002

Although the Eagles youngsters controlled this game for most of the first 65 minutes of play, it was the conceding of 4 tries in the final 15 minutes that led to what in the end was a flattering scoreline for the home side.

A penalty for a head high tackle gave Sheffield the lead on 3 minutes, before Doncaster crossed for a try after 8 minutes play. Sheffield had the better of the play for next 25 minutes although poor completion meant that they spent much of the half in defence.

Eagles re-took the lead on 20 minutes after Jon Breakingbury showed some strong running to break through the defence, before off loading to Paul Wells who side stepped the defence to cross near the posts. Stringer goaled..

Wells added to his tally on 26 minutes after Doncaster had again been penalised on the Eagles 30 metre line. After 3 plays the Eagles had made their way to the home side's 30 where ever resourceful Lee Bettinson, spotted a gap out wide and sent a long pass to the wing. Paul Wells jumped to collect a difficult pass then beat three defenders to cross near the corner.

Eagles defence held out against a sustained attack which left the Dragons only a drop goal option. As the game slipped into extra time the Eagles defence was breached out wide as Doncaster took the score to 11-12.

Although the Eagles forwards had had the best of the first period, it was clear that the large amount of time they had spent on defence had taken too much out of them for them to allow them to remain on top for the whole game. Despite this it was Sheffield who scored first in the second half as Wells completed his hat trick after some good work in attack by Mitchel Stringer and Lee Bettinson.

Sheffield were able to hold out for a further 10 minutes before the defensive errors moved from a trickle to a torrent as fatigue began to tell.

Sheffield finished the game with a 60% completion rate with the ball, as Wells, Nick Turnbull and Stringer led the offence. In defence Andy Gargan (31), Lee Bettinson (30), Stringer (25) and Simon Morton (24) led the way.

Sheffield Team: 1. Bryn Evans, 2. Andy Copley,3. Jon Breakingbury,4. Nick Turnbull,5. Paul Wells, 6. Lee Bettinson, 7. Ritchie Hunter, 8. Tom Lyons, 9. Andy Gargan, 10. Mitchel Stringer, 11. Brett Staveley,12. Ricki Reckless, 13. Simon Morton, 14. Stuart Jones,15. Gareth Berry, 16. Dan Cook, 17. Danny Brown.

Sheffield Scorers: Tries: Paul Wells (3). Goals: Mitchel Stringer (2)

The End of Season Awards

Held on Friday night (18th October 2002) at The Holiday Inn Royal Victoria, Sheffield.

The proceedings this year were boosted by the fact that another part of Mark Aston's dream had been realised and there were presentations to an Academy Team. Andy Tyers and John Winder, the two coaches spoke highly of the performances of the youngsters and the fact that out of the squad 10 had played first team football this season and of those 6 had made their debuts with the first team. This was showing everyone that the youngsters of the area are doing well and that rugby league was a product that Sheffield ought to be proud of. Andy was pleased that there were so many people wanting the Academy to succeed and to finish 6th in the league at the first attempt, and beat some of the teams quite convincingly, was all good for the future and he hoped that the funding for the Academy could and would be found for the future.
 

ACADEMY AWARDS
All awards sponsored by Hanlon & Wright and presented by Chris Noble

Most Improved Player

Winner: Gareth Berry

Coaches Award

An annual award that is not necessarily for on-field performances:
Winner: Tom Lyons

Players Player of The Year

Annual trophy voted for by the players themselves:
Winner: Mitchell Stringer (also Top Points Scorer - 12 tries 47goals and 1DG = 143 points)

Player of The Year

Annual Trophy voted for by The Coaching Staff
It was said that the winner played in 14 of the 15 matches and often whilst carrying injuries but led by example and his attitude was excellent.
Winner: Club Captain - Simon Morton

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