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LIONS COUNT COST OF EPIC VICTORY

LIONS COUNT COST OF EPIC VICTORY

A fantastic day all round yesterday culminated in a pulsating victory for the Lions over full-time opponents in the shape of Toulouse Olympique.

On a day of national historic significance, which began of course with the Coronation of King Charles III, the Lions went on to write their own piece of history with a magnificent win over the French team, whom they lead 19-0 half-way through the second-half. Swinton eventually secured the spoils by 19-12, thanks to tries by Jake Spedding and Louis Brogan, augmented by the boot of Ben Davies who landed five kicks from five attempts, as well as a drop-goal by Jordan Gibson.

The day at Heywood Road had begun brightly and early, with around 150 to 200 people on the ground to witness young players from Salford Roosters, Langworthy Reds and Woolston Rovers contest a round-robin tournament. This was followed by the youngsters acting as proud mascots as the Lions and Toulouse filed out on to the pitch ahead of the British and French National Anthems.

Although a historic victory was then achieved by the Lions in front of healthy crowd not far short of a 1,000 – particularly given the sparsity of away support – the win did come at a cost.

On-loan hooker George Roby took a knock that is likely to side-line him for a few weeks, and full-back Joe Lowe hobbled off at half-time nursing an ankle injury. Nick Gregson is also likely to miss next week’s trip to Bradford, whilst on loan forward Luke Thomas was concussed and is therefore also compelled to sit out the journey to Yorkshire.

Already by half-time yesterday we were reduced to just two available interchanges, a number further reduced to zero with fifteen minutes of the game remaining. That our Lions managed to grind out such a momentous victory in these circumstances only adds further proof regarding the spirit in our club.

In further injury news we can update our fans further as follows:-

Mike Butt almost made it to the start line yesterday, and should return at Bradford.

On loan half-back Jamie Ellis also wasn’t risked yesterday owing to a muscle strain, and we await a further update from our medical staff.

Richard Lepori is unlikely to see action until possibly the last two months of the season.

Jayden Hatton has missed the last couple of games, but should be available next week.

Jonny Openshaw needs surgery and is unlikely to play again this season.

Liam Cooper sustained a serious injury at Sheffield and the prognosis is long-term.

Myles Harrop is improving following surgery, but again he is a long-term absentee.

Gavin Bennion is back in full training and is targeting the Summer Bash for his comeback.

Mitch Cox is currently absent through injury and we are awaiting scan results.

We have no doubt that had we had any luck whatsoever with injuries we would already have won more games, but in the meantime the club would like to thank those fans who have understood our circumstances, both in terms of on-field injuries and off-field funding disadvantages, and have continued in all circumstances to back the team.

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Jamie Ellis to bring experience to the Lions!

Jamie Ellis to bring experience to the Lions!

At Swinton Lions we are pleased to announce that we have signed experienced half-back Jamie Ellis on loan from York Knights.

Jamie is 33 years old and initially broke into the professional game with hometown club St Helens. He moved to Leigh Centurions in 2011, and then on to Hull FC in 2012, before spending three seasons with Castleford Tigers for whom he played in the 2014 Challenge Cup Final. Next came three more seasons in Super League from 2015 to 2017 with Huddersfield Giants, before returning to Castleford in 2018. He also saw recent significant loan time with Hull Kingston Rovers and Leigh again, before signing for York in 2022.

Jamie has vast experience playing at stand-off, scrum-half and hooker, and no doubt will be warmly welcomed by everyone associated with the Lions!

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Saints star Ben Davies in DR with Lions

Saints and Lions agree DR for Ben Davies

Ben Davies has become the latest highly regarded young St Helens star to sign a Dual Registration agreement with the Lions.

The 23 years old 6 foot centre has scored 8 tries in 18 senior matches for the Saints, and is likely to be included in our 21-man squad to face Toulouse at Heywood Road on Saturday.

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Wolves’ Luke joins Lions on loan

LUKE THOMAS LINKS UP WITH LIONS

Young Warrington Wolves middle Luke Thomas has joined the Lions on an initial short-term loan deal, and comes into squad contention for Saturday’s home match versus Toulouse. He is 6 foot 1 inch tall with a playing style that is very physical and aggressive and said to resemble a young James Graham.

Luke emerged through the Latchford Albion club, and has really caught the eye at Warrington where they believe he has a very bright future.

Luke is 20 years old and has already appeared at Super League level for the Wolves. He qualifies for Wales and made his international debut during the recent Rugby League World Cup.

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Billy Brickhill sad to leave Lions

BILLY BRICKHILL SAD TO LEAVE LIONS

Unfortunately the club has to reluctantly announce that our popular forward Billy Brickhill is to leave Swinton Lions by mutual agreement.

Billy joined Swinton from Rochdale Hornets ahead of the 2019 season, and went on to make 27 appearances during that successful campaign. In fact he scored a try on his debut, although the Lions went down at Sheffield’s Olympic Legacy Park on 3 February of that year.

As we know Covid then intervened, but upon the resumption of play in 2021 Billy was a regular in the Swinton line-up. Sadly we would be relegated that year, but Billy remained with us to successfully assist our promotion back to the Championship at the end of last season. Unfortunately, however, from a personal perspective 2022 brought about a couple of serious injuries. First came a nasty leg injury at Keighley, and then later in the season as we homed in on promotion a shocking facial injury was sustained in the home win over Hunslet.

Since that painful day back in August of last year Billy has strived to regain full fitness, but in consultation with our medical team and coaching staff, a reluctant decision has been made to allow Billy the time and space to fully recover and consider his options moving forwards. It’s our intention to leave the door open for potential discussion at any point in the future, and in the meantime everyone at the club wishes him every success and happiness moving forwards.

In total Billy made 57 appearances for the Lions, scoring 7 tries.

Billy said, “I want to say a massive thanks to the Board and the staff for supporting me throughout my time at Swinton Lions. I’ve loved playing for the fans and the club for the past five seasons. I want to wish Allan, the staff and the players all the very best for the rest of this season.”

On behalf of the club, Head Coach Allan Coleman added, “Billy is the type of player who possibly doesn’t get the accolades he deserves. He always gave it 110% in training and 110% on the field.  He’s a big loss for the club because he’s capable of covering all areas of the field positional wise. We class him very much as one of our own. He’s made a decision which is the correct one for his family, but should he ever want to get involved in the future then hopefully it will be with us. From me and all the staff and players we wish Billy all the very best.”

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LIONS PART COMPANY WITH LUKE

LIONS TO PART COMPANY WITH LUKE WATERWORTH

It’s with a heavy heart that the club wishes to announce that we have parted company with immediate effect with our hooker Luke Waterworth.

Luke made his Swinton debut in a Championship match at Workington Town on 26 June 2016, a game which ended in a draw. He was on loan from hometown club Wigan Warriors at that time, and went on to make 12 appearances during that season. His first try for the Lions was scored at Whitehaven in the last game of that campaign.

Season 2017 turned out to be a traumatic one for the club, but it also brought about Luke’s famous winning try at Huddersfield in the Challenge Cup! Over the following three campaigns Luke became a mainstay of the team, a period in which he missed only a handful of matches. Then of course came Covid and our subsequent relegation to League 1 in 2021. However, Luke remained loyal to the Lions and enjoyed our promotion celebrations at the end of last season, but all good things must come to an end and sadly Luke would make his final appearance for the Lions in the narrow loss at London Broncos at the end of March this year.

In total Luke made a remarkable 133 appearances for the Lions, scoring 16 tries.

Luke said, “I just want to say thank you to all the fans, my sponsors, the Board and all the players I’ve played with and all the coaches I’ve played under during the last 8 seasons. I have loved my time at Swinton Lions and it’s my home, but I’ve had to decide to step away from the sport. I wish the team all the best for the rest of the season, and I will definitely be down at Heywood Road supporting the lads! I have made memories that I will never forget, especially that Huddersfield game in the cup! Thanks again to everyone at the club!”

On behalf of the club, Head Coach Allan Coleman added, “I want to thank Luke personally as he’s been a superb servant to the club. He’s been a fantastic player and good friend and will be sadly missed, but we support him in his decision. Unfortunately, Luke has lost a bit of love for the game so it’s important we understand that and remain fully behind him. He’ll always be welcome at our place and should he ever want to put a jersey on again then hopefully it will be with Swinton Lions. From myself, the staff and the players, we all wish Luke all the very best for the future, and success in whichever direction he chooses to take.”

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Lions jointly host ground-breaking initiative!

Swinton Lions Foundation and Manchester Rugby Coaching Partnership join forces

Yesterday Swinton Lions Foundation and Manchester Rugby Coaching proudly joint-hosted the Manchester Schools 9-a-side Rugby League Tournament at Wright Robinson Sports College in Gorton.

An incredible 90 players from 5 schools at year 9 level were represented in what was the first event of its kind facilitated by our new community partnership.

The event was played out on a round-robin basis, and then a Grand Final was contested between the top two ranking schools, Wright Robinson and Hollingworth. The hosts were the proud winners of the tournament, and were presented with the cup by Wigan Warriors and England player Vicky Molyneux.

The event was also attended by the RFL’s Jonathan Dowler who was greatly impressed by the talent and skills on show.

Damian Ridpath of the Lions’ Foundation said, “This event was excellent and a great piece of collaborative work between Manchester Rugby Coaching and the Lions Foundation. Chris Honor organised all the matches and co-ordinated the volunteer referees superbly, whilst I was able to speak to all the teams and teachers separately about our vision for developing all types of Rugby League within Greater Manchester in the future, and how we can support with developing schools and tournaments in the sport.

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Wakefield Trinity Women 4 Swinton Lionesses 52

Alan Dixon at Be Well Support Stadium

Swinton Lionesses got their first win of the season with a well earned victory at Wakefield. Martina gave debuts to Maddi Higginson and Caitlin Miles who both played their part in this victory.

Swinton got off to a bright start with their first possession of the game when Maddie Higson broke through the Wakefield defence but was tackled into touch after a 40 metre run. From the handover, Zoey Langley Broke through the Lionesses defence and the ball was moved out to Toni Nicholson to score in the corner. Georgia Lever missed the conversion and Wakefield led 4-0 after 3 minutes. A penalty for offside after 10 minutes gave the Lionesses possession of the ball. They moved the ball across the field to Mia Atherton who cut back inside to score under the posts. Georgia Cunliffe converted for a 6-4 lead.

Twelve minutes later the Lionesses won a scrum on the Wakefield 40 metre line. After a couple of drives down the middle, the ball was moved out to Izzy Birds to score in the corner. Georgia Cunliffe missed the conversion.  Swinton kept up the pressure on the Wakefield line. After a penalty for offside, Holly Grimes drove her way through the Wakefield defence to score from close range. Georgia Cunliffe added the conversion and the Lionesses led 16-4 after 31 minutes. The Lionesses were back on the attack right from the restart. Good runs by Maddie Higson and Maddi Higginson got the Lionesses to within 20 metres of the Wakefield line. The ball was moved out to Rebecca Roden who cut inside to score. Georgia Cunliffe converted to give the Lionesses a 22-4 lead at half time.

Wakefield kicked off the second half. The ball went straight to Eve Ashcroft who ran around the outside of the Wakefield defence before cutting inside the full back to score a 70 metre try under the posts. Georgia Cunliffe added the conversion for a 28-4 lead. From the restart, the Lionesses moved the ball out to Maddi Higginson who broke down the wing before being tackled in the Wakefield half. After a good run by Emily Haley, the ball found its way back to Maddi Higginson to score out wide on her debut. Georgia Cunliffe was unable to add the extras. The Lionesses were back on the attack again after 53 minutes. After consecutive penalties for high tackle on Leah Christian and Chloe Birkett, the ball was moved out to Sophie Sykes to score out wide. A superb conversion by Georgia Cunliffe made it 38-4. From the restart, Ellie Thirkell went on a 40 metre run to set up a try for Mia Atherton. Georgia Cunliffe added the conversion.

More pressure on the Wakefield line ended with Holly Grimes forcing her way over. The referee deemed her to be held up. From the hand over, Wakefield knocked on. From the scrum, Eve Ashcroft fed the ball to Chloe Birkett to score. Georgia Cunliffe missed the conversion and the Lionesses now led 48-4. The Lionesses were penalised for a high tackle after 72 minutes. The ball was moved out to Bethany Cain who went over the line near the posts. The referee disallowed the try and gave a penalty to the Lionesses for back chatting. The final score of the game after 75 minutes. The Lionesses moved the ball out to Libby Curran who cut through the Wakefield defence to score in the corner. Georgia Cunliffe couldn’t add the conversion.

Teams :

Wakefield Trinity : Hebe Forbes, Holly Spurr, Katie Evans, Georgia Lever, Toni Nicholson, Bethany Cain, Jessica Flintoff, Ellie Sykes, Bethany Pinto, Zoey Langley, Ebony Hardcastle, Rochelle Liddle, Ruby Lockwood. SUBS : Emily-Jo Brown, Libby Morris, Mary Tetley, Holly Whitaker, Poppy Appleyard, Sian Spence-Boocock, Hailey Portrey

Try : Nicholson (3)

Swinton Lionesses : Maddie Higson, Izzy Birds, Mia Atherton, Libby Curran, Elizabeth Davies, Georgia Cunliffe, Ellie Thirkell, Leah Christian, Eve Ashcroft, Abbie Parkes-Holden, Chloe Birkett, Sophie Sykes, Emily Haley. SUBS : Maddi Higginson, Holly Grimes, Catherine Sweeney, Rebecca Roden, Caitlin Miles, Maddie Trickett

Tries : Atherton (10, 57), Birds (22), Grimes (31), Roden (35), Ashcroft (41), Higginson (45), Sykes (53), Birkett (64), Curran (75)

Goals : Cunliffe 6

Pens : 1-6                 

Half Time : 4-22

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Club statement regarding IMG vote

SWINTON LIONS RLFC – Statement regarding the Special General Meeting IMG vote

Yesterday clubs voted overwhelmingly in support of the RFL and IMG recommendations regarding the future direction of travel of the sport under a new grading system.

At Swinton Lions we also voted in favour of the proposal, which represented the unanimous decision of the Board.

Over the past few weeks our Board has given comprehensive consideration to the IMG plan and its likely impact on the Swinton Lions club itself, as well as the wider game. Our efforts to fully understand the finer detail included a club specific in-depth meeting with the RFL at their new Etihad Campus HQ.

The desire to drive standards forward across the sport was critical to our thought process, as was the fact that contrary to some reports we do not believe there will be a top table lock-out. On the contrary there will be a clear pathway forward for ambitious clubs, and one we believe with greater financial security than under the current promotion and relegation system at Super League level.

We accept that the ball is now very much within our own hands, and in the hands of our friends and competitors at other clubs. At Swinton Lions we could otherwise run the risk of standing still or potentially regressing as a club in an ever more challenging landscape. Instead we look forward to driving our business forward and embracing the potential opportunities provided by the new grading system, particularly by exploiting our advantageous geographical location within a huge city conurbation.

Inevitably we will need to be ambitious and progressive, and partly to this end we will shortly be announcing the appointment of additional new Board members with appropriate skill sets, and who share in our aim to play a significant participant role in the future of rugby league football. We are therefore already in the process of filling key gaps in our business, to compliment some of the fantastic work that has taken place over the past two years. Namely our recent promotion and the fielding of a competitive team at Championship level, together with our wonderful off-field work, including the launch of our women’s team the Lionesses, the impending launch of a wheelchair team, and the incredible participant numbers that our now progressing through the various projects being undertaken by the Lions’ Foundation all across Greater Manchester.

We have wonderful sponsors and strategic partners, as well as the most loyal of a core support base. We are incredibly appreciative of our team of volunteers, and specific fan initiatives such as Pridebuilder and the Supporters’ Trust. We are also in the process of identifying and engaging with new strategic and commercial partners. Yet despite these efforts, unfortunately we are not currently achieving the required supporter numbers and commercial income which will enable us to invest further in our infrastructure and playing strength.

Every day brings a fresh major challenge, and we accept that the grading system alone will not in itself realise the sport’s ambitions overnight. However, all clubs are now charged to improve standards without delay and help drive those commercial rewards in which teams in all three divisions have a vested and shared interest. We look forward to sharing more detail with our supporters in due course.