Knights’ plan is Premier class
CHAMPIONSHIP highfliers Doncaster are looking to start on the front foot next seaason, starting with back-to-back pre-season games against Premiership opposition.
The Knights – Yorkshire’s only full-time club who finished second in the Championship table last year – will stage both matches, against as yet unknown oppostition, at their Castle Park ground on Friday, August 26 and Friday, September 2.
Negotiations with the Premiership clubs are still ongoing. However, details are expected to be announced shortly as will the names of the Knights’ new signings.
Doncaster have resigned the vast majority of their squad who enjoyed an excellent campaign last time round, winning 17 of their 20 Championship games, including beating the eventual league winners, Ealing Trailfinders, both home and away.
“We’ll be bringing in about a dozen new faces which will mean we’ll have a senior squad of 33,” explained the Knights’ head coach Steve Boden.
“Bearing in mind that, on Championship match days, we have 23 players on duty so we’ll have only 10 players who are spare, some of whom may be injured, things can get a bit tight.”
The Knights have already lost forwards Sam Graham (Northampton), Josh Peters (Newcastle) and Jack Davies (Hartpury), but Boden is already eyeing up replacements.
Boden will have his men back in training as early as tomorrow, adding: “We asked our players to keep fit, so that when they’re back we can go straight into rugby training rather than spending hours in the gym.
“What we’re planning is to have four weeks of hard work and then our lads will have a week off.”