Continuity is crucial for Keighley Cougars coach March (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Continuity is crucial for Keighley Cougars coach March

1:50pm Friday 1st February 2013 in Sport By Ross Heppenstall, Bradford Bulls Reporter

Head coach Paul March believes consistent team selection in pivotal positions is important for Cougars this campaign.

His side open their Champ-ionship season at Batley on Sunday on the back of mixed friendly results.

But he is confident of building on the work achieved by his predecessor Jason Demetriou.

March said: “I think every team has strengthened and it should be a good competition this year.

“We’re no different and we’ve got a lot of good Championship players in the squad now.

“We need to be more con-sistent. Not just on the field but also with team selection, especially in the pivotal positions such as six, seven, nine, one and 13.

“If we can keep those players fit and stay consis-tent in that area and play the same people in those positions we will get better results on the field.

“Last year we tried to fit everybody into the team when sometimes we should have really said ‘this is how it’s going to be’.

“Hopefully if we can get Scott Leatherbarrow and Danny Jones firing as a partnership at half-back, with Buster (James Feather) at hooker, then we can get that consistency and play some good rugby.”

March has played at half-back himself for much of his career but he has ear-marked a different role for himself.

He said: “I’ve got a Wales international at six (Jones) and a promising youngster at seven (Leatherbarrow), but I’m still going to play.

“I see myself playing more of a hooking role or loose forward this year, and I think that will help Scott mature a lot more with him being such a young lad.

“If we can keep everybody fit and consistent in those positions then it doesn’t matter who I change in the other positions. People can come in and do a job.”