New-look Keighley Cougars go into tomorrow's Trans-Pennine Cup final against Northern Ford Premiership leaders Leigh with more confidence than seemed possible a month ago.

Coach Steve Deakin has shrewdly re-built his side after losing ten senior players when the Cougars were forced to cut their costs.

Leigh, who have won the NFP Minor Premiers will be strong favourites at Cougar Park, but Cougars are full of confidence after their 26-14 home win over Sheffield Eagles on Sunday.

Deakin said: "Since we had the shake-up of the team last month, the one thing that was always in my mind was that I hoped we could finish the season creditably and compete in games.

"We have done that in the last five games and we have improved. The players have earned the right to be treated as serious opposition whereas four weeks ago perhaps that wasn't the case.

"It was a great game against Sheffield. Some of the football we played was reminiscent of the way we played at the start of the season.

"There is a great spirit in the side. A lot of the players have played together in the A team and coming into the first team has matured them.

"Leigh are the most consistent side in the Northern Ford Premiership and I take my hat off to them, but I believe we can exploit them. They beat us at the beginning of April, but we didn't have any half backs that day.

"We had lost Martin Wood with a knee injury at Widnes the week before and Nathan Antonik lasted less than a minute before he was carried off injured. Sunday's game was his first appearance since then."

"The big feature of the Sheffield win was that we had two half backs, Paul Ashton and Nathan Antonik, who gave us the ability to put pressure on the defensive line.

"They are a good pair. Paul played well and Nathan did exceedingly well considering it was his first game for seven weeks."