Foresters ‘jokers’ aiming to be trump cards

NATIONAL One promotion contenders Cinderford are “happy to be the joker in the pack” as they keep Rosslyn Park honest at the top of the table – that’s the message from DoR Paul Morris.

Morris believes December will be key on whether Foresters can continue to challenge as he feels their young crop of players “need to regain a hunger and desperation for winning” after losing three of their last four games.

The Gloucestershireside, on a bye-week, are the surprise package in National One, scoring the most points and being top of table after winning their first eight games until last week’s defeat to Sale, which saw Rosslyn Park go top.

Morris told TRP: “Our intention is to win every Saturday but we don’t talk about the Championship, we leave that to other clubs to state their ambitions.

“We joke about it around the clubhouse, no one takes it seriously, and we’re happy to be the joker but we’re very serious about winning next Saturday in Darlington and then Moseley the weekend before Christmas.

“We’re enjoying the level of respect we’re now getting. We lost at Rosslyn Park in what was the best National One game I’ve ever seen but there was a lot of mutual respect. We’ve seen at Rams, there was a fear factor as we were top of the league and with Sale here last week.

“We’re not an unknown quantity anymore, everyone now knows we’re a serious National One club.”

Morris admits the season has taken its toll on the players physically and is glad to have a week off.

He added: “We’ve been enjoying the ride where we opened with eight wins but now we’re in a sticky patch.

“We’ve needed this rest week, the biggest thing going against us is most teams have rested a week before playing us due to the Old Elthamians situation.”