Fylde’s 1st team playing personnel has changed more extensively ahead of the new 2024-25 season than for some while. A number of experienced players including Ben Gregory, Greg Smith, Tom Carleton, Ollie Parkinson and Scott Rawlings have moved on, as have more recent recruits Ethan Hall-Lyon and Sam Carleton. Last season’s dual registered youngsters from Sale Sharks – Tye Raymont, Tom Burrow and Will Wootton – have moved up the Sharks Academy structure and are bound for successful elite careers.
Fylde coaches Alex Loney and Chris Briers have quickly moved to strengthen the squad with careful recruitment and team building including appointing a new skipper, Toby Harrison. The new forwards include Mike Walton (Billingham), Lewis Quinn (Huddersfield), Greg Morgan (Sedgley Park), Olly Trippier and Ben Dorrington (both ‘Hoppers).
Backs include Patrick Bishop (Durham University), Lewis Kincart (Kendal & Blackburn), Lucas Atherton (North Walsham), Owen Fisher (Northumbria University), Alex Gaughan (Caldy & Waterloo) and Tom Armstrong (St Helens RL, Leigh Centurions, Widnes Vikings, Sheffield Eagles & Toronto Wolfpack).
It will be fascinating to see who the coaches include in the 20-man match squad, with particular interest in the front row, the talent available in the backrow and the crucial half-back partnership.
There could hardly be tougher opponents to visit on the opening day than Sheffield RUFC. They had an outstanding season in 2023-24 finishing in 3rd place in National Two (North) behind Rotherham Titans (champions) and Leeds Tykes.
The two games between the clubs last season were tense and close affairs, with honours shared: Sheffield came out on top 34-28 in South Yorkshire and Fylde edged it 23-22 at the Woodlands.
Under shrewd Head Coach Anthony Posa, they have built a powerful squad, well balanced in forwards and backs. Anthony shares his coaching time with the University of Sheffield where he’s Head Coach and the Croatian National Team where he’s in charge of the National XV and the 7s squad.
Some of their key players were named in the National League and The Rugby Paper’s Teams of last season. These included the accomplished and powerful backrower, Ryan Burrows, who has very senior experience at Rotherham Titans, Leeds Tykes, Newcastle Falcons (including Premiership appearances) and Coventry. The durable and indefatigable no 8, who has hardly missed a game in two seasons, is week in, week out, one of the leading forwards in N2(North). He had a storming 2023-24 campaign notching 17 tries in all.
He was edged out of being the top try scorer by mercurial scrum-half Elliot Fisher who also had a tremendous season, notching 21 tries to date and, with kicking duties too, a total of 272 points in all putting him 4th place in the N2(N) ranking. He’s often partnered at half-back with Callum Posa, Anthony’s son.
Other mainstays of the squad last season included skipper, lock and Forwards Coach Dominic Parsons, formerly with Championship experience at Doncaster Knights (and 200+ caps for the Club), and props include Jake Hicklin and Ben Whitney, and Archie Crapper and Matt Adcock in the backrow.
Amongst the Sheffield three quarters, wing Christian Hooper had another very productive campaign with 14 tries to date. Powerful centre Will Smith is also a real danger.
New signings include fullback or flyhalf George Castledine (ex-Newport Salop), centre or no 9 Matthew Drennan (ex-Doncaster Phoenix and Rotherham), lock Jarmon Langton & hooker David Moores (both ex-Dons Phoenix) and prop Alex Reid (ex-Tonbridge Juddians and Leeds Tykes.
Photos by Chris Farrow, of Fylde v Sheffield at the Woodlands in March 2024.
