Championship One Preview: Hunslet Hawks v Hemel Stags

Hunslet coach Barry Eaton could be picking from full strength for Sunday’s Kingstone Press Championship One showdown with Hemel Stags.

Liam Mackay is ready to return following a dead leg, giving Eaton plenty of options ahead of a difficult fixture.

Eaton said: “The so-called development teams are getting better and getting a lot of good players in their squads.

“The league is getting better. Hemel are on a bit of a run and they’re wanting to make a bit of a statement to the league throughout these three games where they play Oldham, ourselves and York. We’re certainly preparing for a tough one.”

Chris Clough, Dom Maloney and Alex Ingarfield are all ruled out for Hemel, but Ben Young is back in contention after recovering from a broken foot.

Stags coach Troy Perkins said: “Hunslet are the best team we’ve played this year.

“They’re the team to beat and it’s going to be tough, but we can go in with confidence after last week’s effort against Oldham.

“We need to address our defence a bit, but I was pleased with our attack.”