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News

LIONESSES APPOINT NEW COACH

Steve Thirkell steps up

The club can now formally confirm that Steve Thirkell has been appointed as the Head Coach of our Swinton Lionesses!

Steve’s was the stand out job application, and no doubt all connected with the Lions and Lionesses will join us in wishing him every success.

In addition , we can confirm that Mark Robinson, an integral member of our Foundation’s coaching set up, has accepted the role of Lionesses assistant coach. So good luck to Mark also!

Our Lionesses are also looking to recruit in the following positions.

News

SWINTON LIONS HEAD COACH VACANCY

Swinton Lions RLFC invites immediate applications for the position of HEAD COACH.

Candidates must hold requisite coaching qualifications which satisfy RFL Operational Rules.

Please email particulars to [email protected]

News

ALLAN COLEMAN TO MOVE ON AT END OF SEASON

Lions’ Head Coach to join Widnes

Swinton Lions can confirm that our Head Coach Allan Coleman will be joining Widnes Vikings for the 2024 season.

Allan has been a fantastic coach for Swinton Lions and not someone we would wish to lose, but after he expressed a wish to take on a new challenge the Board reluctantly decided that we should respect his professional ambitions.

The immediate intention is that Allan will remain Head Coach until the end of the current season. However, to ease the transition of the change of Head Coach as far as is possible, we will begin the process of identifying a successor with immediate effect. As soon as there any developments with regards to the recruitment of a new Head Coach they will be announced via our official channels.

In the meantime the staff, players and Board remain fully focussed on the important job in hand, starting with the game against Keighley Cougars at Heywood Road this coming Sunday.

News

MIKE BUTT MAKES HISTORY BUT LIONS DENIED ON FINAL HOOTER

NEWCASTLE THUNDER 25 SWINTON LIONS 19

 IAN RIGG at Kingston Park, Sunday 30 July

A try with less than thirty seconds left from Gideon Boafo snatched the points for Thunder in a pulsating encounter where the lead changed hands twice in the last two minutes. It was the Lions who had the better start forcing a goal line drop out in only the second set and from this Rhodri Lloyd was held up as he went for the left corner. Young Lions stand-off Will Roberts on dual registration from St Helens was controlling the game in the early minutes but he suffered a left leg injury on eight minutes going down in a tackle and had to be carried off on a stretcher. After this Thunder got more into the game and they had a couple of chances, but both ended up with the ball being knocked on near the line. Mitch Clark should have scored on twenty minutes but mis-read the pass from Jack Miller and again the ball went to ground. Jayden Hatton then had to clear his own line with Alex Young tracking him near the line. Thunder then opened the scoring on the half hour when a nice pass from Miller sent Gideon Boafo over in the corner, but he could not convert. Brad Gallagher and Rhodri Lloyd were both sent to the sinbin for fighting in the thirty-sixth minute and then Mitch Cox had a really good chance for the Lions when he chased a Jordy Gibson kick but the ball just ran away from him as he tried to score, but it was Thunder who stretched the lead in the final minute of the half when Connor Moore sold a huge dummy to the Lions defence and raced away to score by the posts with Miller adding the simple conversion.

The Lions had the best possible start in the second half getting on the scoreboard straight away when Jordan Case sent Kenny Baker through a gap and he sent Josh Eaves racing away under the posts with Gibson converting, but Thunder hit back again when Connor Bailey went through two attempted tackles to score under the posts and again Miller converted. The Lions were trying everything to score midway through the half, but the Thunder defence was frustrating them and it was the home side who went further ahead when Miller kicked a penalty for interference on sixty-five minutes but from the kick off the Lions hit back straight away when George Roby sent a nice short kick between the posts and Lewis Hall followed it to score and Gibson converted. Rob Tuliatu then gave away a penalty for obstruction and from the pressure the Lions forced a goal line drop out and from this it finished with Mike Butt scoring his one hundredth Lions try as he swallow dived into the right corner and Gibson converted to level the scores. The pressure was back on from the Lions and Gibson landed a drop goal to put them ahead with just over two minutes left but they also lost Josh Eaves in the build up to this having to be stretchered off with a leg injury. From the restart Thunder moved downfield and Nikau Williams also kicked a drop goal to again level the scores, but it was Thunder who snatched the victory with as the clock counted down and a lovely pass from Marcus Walker sent Boafo racing down the touchline with Mike Butt and Joey Romeo trailing in his wake to score on the left and Miller converted.

LIONS

26 Joey Romeo

2 Mike Butt

22 Andy Badrock

3 Jack Spedding

4 Jayden Hatton

31 Will Roberts

7 Jordy Gibson

8 Gav Bennion

30 George Roby

35 Lewis Hall

11 Rhodri Lloyd

12 Mitch Cox

6 Nick Gregson

Subs (all used)

14 Josh Eaves

15 Jordan Case

16 Gav Rodden

10 Kenny Baker

Tries: Eaves (43), Hall (67), Butt (74)

Goals: Gibson 3/3

Drop-Goal: Gibson 1

THUNDER

6 Alex Donaghy

2 Alex Young

5 Alex Clegg

3 Marcus Walker

20 Gideon Boafo

7 Nikau Williams

27 Jack Miller

8 Jay Chapelhow

9 Curtis Davies

10 Mitch Clark

17 Rob Tuiatu

12 Brad Gallagher

13 Connor Bailey

Subs (all used)

40 Evan Simons

14 Denive Balmforth

23 Connor Moore

18 Jake Lightowler

Tries: Boafo (30,80), Moore (39) Bailey (48)

Goals: 4/5

Drop-Goal: Williams -1

Penalty count: 7-6

Half-time: 10-0

Referee:  Matt Rossleigh

Attendance: 889

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0,10-0,10-6,16-6,18-6,18-12,18-18,18-19,19-19,25-19

News

LIONS FACE TOXIII AT CARCASSONNE

LIONS TO FACE TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE AT CARCASSONNE

We can now confirm that our away Betfred Championship fixture against Toulouse Olympique, scheduled for Saturday 19 August, will now take place at the Stade Albert Domec, Carcassonne, on that same date.

TOXIII recently revealed that their regular home stadium, the Stade Ernest-Wallon, is unavailable due to its use as a World Cup training camp for the Japan international Rugby Union team, and with no other suitable alternative stadium available within the city, the decision was taken to play the Lions at Carcassonne.

The beautiful and historic city of Carcassonne lies about 60 miles south-east of Toulouse, and the Stade Albert Domec is the home ground of Carcassonne XIII, who play in the French Elite Championship 1. The ground has previously hosted many matches involving the France national team. The two cities are connected by a frequent direct train service, which takes around one hour.

The kick-off time is 6pm local time, and the Toulouse club is currently finalising return coach transport to assist any Swinton Lions supporters who may have accommodation booked in Toulouse. We will announce coach booking details as soon as we have them, which is likely to be next Wednesday (19 July), and we understand there will be a charge of 10 Euros per person. (Please note that bus bookings will be made via an online link provided by TOXIII, and not through Swinton Lions).

Full Itinerary (including fan transport from Toulouse if required):

 Saturday 19 August 2023: TOXIII v Swinton Lions

• Bus departure from the Arnauné Stadium: 3pm (the departure point is served by the Toulouse Metro, Barriere de Paris stop, Line B)
• Bus arrival at the Albert Domec Stadium: around 4.30pm
• Kick-off TOXIII v Swinton Lions: 6.00pm
• Bus departure from the Albert Domec Stadium: 8:30pm
• Bus arrival back at the Arnauné Stadium: around 10pm

News

LIONS JUST SHORT IN TENSE BATTLE

SWINTON LIONS 6 LONDON BRONCOS 12

 IAN RIGG at Heywood Road, Sunday 16 July 2023

London Broncos warmed up for their 1895 cup semi-final next week with a hard-fought victory over the Lions in stormy conditions. The visitors started strongly and forced a goal line drop out but from the kick Oli Leyland went on the attack but lost the ball and the chance went. Then Will Lovell went close being tackled just short and another chance went but from the next set pressure on the Lions line ended with Corey Norman sending out a looping pass to the left and Iliess Macani collected to finish off well in the left corner but Oli Leyland could not convert from the touchline. The Lions then had a rare attack inside the Broncos half and forced a goal line drop out but could do nothing with the pressure on the line as the defence held out well. Broncos went further ahead on twenty-seven minutes when an overlap on the left and a good piece of finishing saw Macani claim his second right in the corner and this time Leyland saw his kick just creep over the crossbar. Another Lions attack on thirty-two minutes saw some more pressure on the line but they were forced to handover the ball just short on the last tackle. Macani almost claimed a third two minutes from the break when he put in a short kick near the line but Matty Foster chasing with him managed to kick it dead. From the drop out they went close again when a good tackle by the Lions defence stopped Lewis Bienek just short of the posts. The Lions finished the half with Oli Olds and Jordan Case having HIA checks but both returned at the start of the second half.

Whatever Lions coach said to his side at the break seemed to work as there was an instant response when on forty-three minutes Olds sent out a short pass for Kenny Baker to score by the posts and Dan Abram making his hundred and fiftieth career appearance added the simple conversion. The Lions were now turning the screw on the Broncos line and Macani made a handling error on forty-eight minutes when he lost control of a high kick near his own line and from the pressure Gav Bennion went close and was held up and on the next tackle George Roby was also held up. Broncos went onto the attack on sixty-one minutes but the final pass from Henry Raiwalui for his winger sailed into touch. Lewis Hall and Jacob Gannon were sent to the sinbin on sixty-seven minutes for fighting. Broncos were coming strong again in the late stages having been under attack from the Lions for most of the half and Dean Parata made a break on seventy minutes but his final pass to Alex Walker was forward as he raced in by the posts. A Broncos player was placed on report with nine minutes left for an alleged bit on Josh Eaves hand. More Broncos pressure a few minutes later but they lost the ball in a good position before Leyland made the game safe when Broncos got a penalty twenty metres out in front of the posts and he converted. Hall put in a short kick off after the try and Broncos caught the ball before it went ten metres but from the pressure in the dying seconds the Lions could do nothing with the ball in the time left but it was a good effort by the home side.

LIONS

1 Dan Abram

26 Joey Romeo

22 Andy Badrock

3 Jake Spedding

4 Jayden Hatton

19 Olly Olds

7 Jordan Gibson

13 Louis Brogan

14 Josh Eaves

8 Gav Bennion

11 Rhodri Lloyd

12 Mitch Cox

35 Lewis Hall

Subs (all used)

30 George Roby

10 Kenny Baker

34 Matty Foster

15 Jordan Case

Try: Baker (43)

Goal: Abram 1/1

Sinbin: Hall (67) Fighting

BRONCOS

1 Alex Walker

2 Paul Ulberg

17 Henry Raiwalui

3 Jarrad Bassett

5 Iliess Manani

6 Oli Leyland

20 Corey Norman

33 Rob Butler

9 Sam Davis

12 Marcus Stock

11 Will Lovell

16 Ethan Natoli

13 Dean Parata

Subs (all used)

14 Bill Leyland

15 Lewis Bienek

10 Jordan Williams

36 Jacob Gannon

Tries: Macani (8,27)

Goals: Leyland 2/3

Sinbin: Gannon (67) Fighting

On Report: Alleged Bite (71)

Penalty count: 10-8

Half-time: 0-10

Referee: Matt Rossleigh

Attendance: 940

News

TEAM NEWS – LIONS HEAD TO THUNDERDOME!

Swinton set to be boosted by fantastic fans following!

The Lions face a huge match at Kingston Park on Sunday, where they will be determined to reverse a 6-16 home loss against Newcastle Thunder back on the opening day of the season. Since that success Thunder have found wins difficult to come by, yet they have remained competitive and will certainly not be underestimated by the Lions.

The team news from a Swinton perspective is that we bring the young St Helens half-back Will Roberts into the squad on DR. Will played a pivotal role in our recent victory at Widnes Vikings, and gives us options in the halves. Fellow Saint Matty Foster, who has played very well in our last three outings, is however, not available for this weekend’s trip north.

Nick Gregson also comes back into the reckoning having missed the match at Featherstone due to a knock, as well as the narrow defeat to London Broncos a fortnight ago when he was serving a one match suspension. Mike Butt was another that missed out against London through injury, but he’ll be hoping to grab his 100^th club try on Sunday.

In other player news, our former forward Jordan Brown has joined us on loan for the remainder of the season from Salford Red Devils reserves, but isn’t included in the squad to face Newcastle.

On the down-side we will be without forward Louis Brogan for a few weeks after he damaged a hand against London.

We have played at the Kingston Park  4G venue just once before, this being a 30-18 success on 2nd August 2015, the year we won promotion from League 1. Skipper Rhodri Lloyd is the only “Lion” still at the club to have played in that game.

We are set to have around 200 fans following the Lions to Newcastle, and no doubt the players will greatly appreciate the vocal encouragement!

The full 21 man squad to face Newcastle Thunder is as follows :-

Dan Abram; Andy Badrock; Kenny Baker; Gavin Bennion; Mike Butt; Jordan Case; Mitch Cox; Josh Eaves; Jordan Gibson; Nick Gregson; Lewis Hall; Jayden Hatton; Rhodri Lloyd; Joe Lowe; Ollie Olds; Scott Parnaby; Will Roberts; George Roby; Gavin Rodden; Joey Romeo; Jake Spedding.

News

LIONS VERSUS BRONCOS – TEAM NEWS

SWINTON LIONS versus LONDON BRONCOS

Heywood Road, Sunday 16 July, 3pm kick-off

Welsh duo return is welcome boost to the Lions

The Lions’ 20-man squad for Sunday’s Championship showdown with the Broncos features a welcome return for our captain Rhodri Lloyd, who missed out on the trip to Featherstone last week as well as the Sheffield win a fortnight ago. Also back in the frame is half-back Ollie Olds, who has been absent through injury since our narrow loss to Bradford back in mid-May.

As far as our half-back situation is concerned, Ollie’s return is particularly welcome, especially considering the fact that Nick Gregson will be serving a one-match suspension, and Jamie Ellis has been recalled by York. Ellis’s recall was evidently prompted by Oldham’s offer of a permanent transfer, something that we at Swinton did not wish to consider.

Unfortunately we will be without Mike Butt against London, who will therefore remain frustratingly stranded on 99 club tries for at least one more game. It might also be necessary to give second-rower Gavin Rodden a week away from the action.

Meanwhile St Helen’s Matty Foster is named in the squad as a DR player.

In other encouraging news, long-term absentees Richard Lepori and Myles Harrop are making great progress and are expected to see action in the not too distant future.

News

LIONESSES DISAPPOINTED BY WARRINGTON WITHDRAWAL

Swinton Lionesses v  Warrington Wolves Lunas – match off

We are bitterly disappointed to have to confirm that this Sunday’s scheduled Women’s Championship fixture between our Lionesses and the Warrington Wolves Lunas, which was set to form half of an eagerly awaited double-header at Heywood Road, has been cancelled.

The cancellation is due in its entirety to the sudden and late withdrawal of our opponents. The loss of the game is especially disappointing given the effort, time and expense which has already been put into arranging the event by Swinton Lions and Lionesses officials. Warrington informed us only this afternoon that they have been unable to raise a team.

The Swinton Lions Director of Development, Damian Ridpath, said, “We are obviously really disappointed to have been informed of Warrington’s withdrawal at such late notice. Warrington had agreed to the fixture some time ago as part of our commitment to our Lionesses, and the women’s game in general, to stage a number of showcase double-headers at Heywood Road. But following Wakefield Trinity’s similar withdrawal last month, this just leaves the Lionesses fixture against Sheffield Eagles on 6 August, which is set to take place ahead of the Lions’ fixture against Keighley Cougars.

“I would like to reiterate once again that it is no fault whatsoever of our club that these postponements have happened. Indeed Swinton Lions RLFC’s commitment to women’s rugby league remains as strong as ever, and forms a significant component of our long term strategic vision for the club. For our part we will continue to develop a wider offer to attract more women and girls from around Greater Manchester to our fantastic sport.”

At present there are no plans to re-schedule the match.