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Lions boss predicts 'most exciting season in years'

20/ 3/2008

SWINTON Lions boss Paul Kidd is looking forward to the start of what he believes will be the ‘most exciting league season for years’.

The Lions begin their League Two campaign at home to Blackpool Panthers tomorrow, Good Friday, March 21, kick-off 3pm, before visiting Keighley Cougars on Easter Monday, March 24, kick-off 7.30pm. And Kidd has his eyes firmly fixed on the play-offs.

He said: "This will be the tightest league for some time and I think it will be the most exciting of the top divisions for the fans.

"There’s several teams who fancy their chances. Oldham are the obvious stand-out side. But Blackpool have improved their squad a great deal under Martin Crompton and they pushed Leigh in the Northern Rail Cup. Doncaster and Barrow will also be up there and Rochdale will be confident having come down from League One.

"We’ve got a good squad ourselves and are very much looking at making the play-offs. We’ve got a tough start and it’s important we get as much from those two Easter games as possible."

Swinton are relieved to report that the ankle injury which Craig Ashall picked up against Oldham on Sunday is not as bad as first feared. He is expected to be back in action within three weeks.

Rob Line is fit again after recovering from a knee knock. But fellow prop Rick Jones will miss the Easter double-header as the club are waiting for clearance from the Rugby Football League to allow him to use the drugs he requires to treat his diabetes.

Meanwhile, the Lions have been drawn at home to Oldham in the Carnegie Challenge Cup fourth round.

Kidd said: "Oldham show-ed their quality in knocking us out of the Northern Rail Cup at the weekend. But we’re at home so who knows? There’s three league games before we start worrying about that game."