RYLANDS Sharks begin life in the North West Men's League Premier Division this Saturday against last season’s Grand finalists Widnes St Maries, 2:30pm kick off at Gorsey Lane.

The Sharks first team lost their first competitive game of the new regime last Saturday at fellow Premier division team Folly Lane in the NWML Cup but head coach Matt Wilson is insisting his team are going into this week in high spirits.

He said: “Losing last week was a blow. We have trained hard all pre-season to start well and get early results, but we went into the game missing 8 players due to unavailability, illness and injury but that’s no excuse, it wasn’t to be on the day.

"We were taught a few lessons in what it takes to win games at this level and we will learn from it.

"We were very patchy with the ball and without it and we just couldn’t seem to get going but we are working extremely hard to put that right this week.

"Guys know their standards cannot slip. Our A team had a great result at the weekend and they're chomping at the bit to take their shirts and that’s what we want.”

Rylands welcome back Club Captain and England international Matt Taylor, Sam Hughes, Craig Millington, Adam Thompson and Lewis Litherland all back into their squad for this weekend in a game which, according to Wilson, will be used as a real benchmark for the rest of the season.

“Widnes St Maries are a champion side, they're in the National Cup Semi Final next weekend so it just shows our task in hand but I am confident we can cause them problems," he said.

"I have a very young talented group here and we are learning all the time and if we continue to do so we are not going to be far away.”

Rylands A team will look to back up from a great first win in the cup when they take on Rochdale Cobras away, kick off 2:30pm.