Game Of The Week - Coach Wake Interview

First up, it’s an interview with Carnegie's head coach Paul Wake:

What can you tell us about your opponent?
Hull university are a good solid team with some excellent players on both sides of the ball. I'm sure head coach Martin Gardham will have his guys well prepared for this game.

What will be the deciding factor in the game in your opinion?
We can only focus on our own performance. Not giving away so many penalties will be a big factor for us. Hull are too good a side to help them with easy yards from penalties.

Any players on your team to watch out for?
Rather not single out any particular squad members as we promote a strong team ethos. We have a very high percentage of first year students with a fair number starting for us. Although they're on a steep learning curve they've adjusted really well.

Any players on the other team to watch out for?
We'll see who performs on the day. I'm sure Hull university will have their fair share of key players.

Do you consider this a rivalry game?

Not really. They've edged us in the last couple of meetings since we beat them in our first encounter. We try not to buy too much into inter-collegiate rivalry as it can be a double-edged sword and can be as distracting as it is motivating. Our rivalry is with whoever we meet on gameday.

How has the team improved from last year’s game?
The foundations of the last couple of years are starting to bear fruit on recruitment. We've taken on some good raw talent to add to an experienced skeleton. There's a lot of enthusiasm in the squad that sometimes manifests itself in too many penalties, but I love to see the guys enjoying their football.

Any any other quote you'd like to give?
We’re looking forward to an enjoyable encounter with both sides giving a good account of themselves.

Game of the Week- QB Seb Gogerly

What can you tell us about your opponent?
They're a tough opposition who are well disciplined and play physical football. Its a close game everytime we play them and we'll be looking to keep their offense off the scoreboard for as much of the game as possible.

What will be the deciding factor in the game in your opinion?
Big plays on offense. We are two defensively stingy teams and it'll take a few big plays on offense or special teams to get points on the board I think.

Any players on your team to watch out for?
We have a variety of players in plenty of positions on the field that can heavily impact the outcome of a game. We will execute well as a unit and let the experiences players make plays.

Any players on the other team to watch out for?
As I've mentioned they have a stout defence so they're entire unit of LBs will need to be considered when we bring out our game plan offensively.

Do you consider this a rivalry game?
Not necessarily a rivalry game but this match will probably be our hardest of the season and could decide who will go on to win the division. We are treating it like a playoff game due to its importance and we'll be playing hard.

How has the team improved from last year’s game?
We lost alot of seniors but we held depth in key positions. Offensively we improved alot in working as a unit and as a team we are more committed this year. We'll be playing a physical game on defence and flowing to the ball like we have all year. It should be a great game

Game Of The Week - Hull Sharks vs. Leeds Carnegie

We’re barely out of the starting gates in the North East division (partly due to the rain), but it’s already looking like this is the sort of game that could decide who tops the table at season’s end.