It's been an interesting week for Sheffield. On Sunday they just scraped past Chorley Lynx - a Richard Goddard conversion clinching the points in the final minute - and on Wednesday evening they thumped Gateshead 66-14, Poynter with a hatrick, Neil Kite, Ian Thompson and Scott Rhodes with two tries a piece.

The fulcrum of the team is ex Cas/ex Wakefield play-anywhere utility Richard Goddard. According to reports, Sheffield were a shambles against Chorley until he took to the field after 20 minutes - after which he had a hand in each of their tries and kicked three vital conversions. Similarly, he steered them around the park against the Thunder, setting up the first score after just 30 seconds. One to keep a very close rein on. Elsewhere amongst what appears to be a miscellany of ex-Cas Tigers and Ex-Leeds Rhinos platers, fullback Andy Pointer is reckoned to have the safest pair of hands in Sheffield whilst centre Neil Kite brings a wealth of representative experience having played for Cumbria, England schoolboys, GB Students, England Students & GB Under 18's.

But undoubtedly the driving force behind Sheffield Eagles is Mark Aston. Member of the original Eagles squad, the club's record points scorer, winner of the Lance Todd trophy in the Eagles' Wembley win over Wigan, GB international and main inspiration behind the rebirth of the Eagles following the Super League club's spurious merger with the Huddersfield Midgets, this team carries his stamp of hard work, honest graft and never-say-die attitude.

The last ten minutes notwithstanding, Martin Hall will be quietly pleased with Tuesday night's Hornets performance. Despite going behind early on, we dominated the game completely for long periods and showed no little skill in doing so. Most impressive were Paul Smith - who seems happier running a little wider with more space to work in - and Warren Ayres, who looked every inch his dad's lad as he sprayed the ball around from out-half and took on the Biffs defence at every opportunity. His 30 yard cut out pass that led to Iain Higgins' try was the best Hornets pass I've seen since Scully went to the pie-eaters. Let's give Warren Jnr an extended run at 6 and I'm sure we'll reap the benefits.

Pleasing too was Paul Davidson's performance. Under flak from some quarters of the Hornets' support, he's undoubtedly playing under his own agenda, but he showed on Tuesday that when he gives it everything, he's got the ability to cause NFP defences some very big problems. Rangy in the tackle he's got a very deft touch with the ball and if he gets his hands free there are passes for anyone smart enough to back him up.

Hally will be concerned, though that - for the second game running - Hornets have switched off in the closing quarter and let a team back into a game that was dead and gone. Murmurs amongst the Oldham fans on Tuesday was that Hornets don't have the bottle to hold on to a big lead and I'm sure that Martin will be drumming in the importance of keeping the foot on the gas for a full 80 minutes.

Don Valley's notoriously bad for generating an atmosphere. But Hornets supporters made a pleasing amount of noise at Hurst Cross and if we can repeat the feat on Sunday we can have a positive effect on what happens on the field. Sheffield's only an hour away, and as Hornets battle to hang on to second spot, your support is invaluable. So come on down and get behind the lads.
If you're not sure of the way, we're meeting at Morrissons at one o'clock, so you can follow us.
We'll see you there.