We come into the new year in a really positive place as a club. The final run of games in 2025 showed clear progress in both performance and consistency, and the focus over the last few weeks has been on building from that platform rather than resetting. The standards we finished the year with are now the minimum we expect from ourselves.
The senior squad is in a strong position. We have players returning from injury, competition for places across the group, and training numbers across all senior squads have been excellent. That depth is pushing standards every week — in preparation and attention to detail — and that competitive environment is exactly what drives sustained improvement.
Equally important has been the attitude around the group. There is a clear buy-in to how we want to train, how we want to play, and how we want to represent the club. Those behaviours, combined with consistency of selection and availability, give us a solid foundation as we move into the second half of the season.
Today is another opportunity to test ourselves against strong opposition and continue that upward trajectory. We know Kendal will bring physicality and intensity, and it’s exactly the type of challenge we welcome as we look to set the tone for 2026.