BACK-to-back promotions is Ryan Hunkin's number one priority for West Bowling as they gear up to return for pre-season training.

West Bowling were crowned National Conference League (NCL) Division Two champions in 2019 following a dominant season. They claimed the title by four points, winning 18 of their 22 league games. They sealed promotion with a 32-16 triumph over rivals Bradford Dudley Hill.

But after a break, head coach Hunkin will preside over the start of pre-season training on Saturday as his club gear up for life in Division One, with only one target on their mind; promotion.

He said: "We had a really good start to the season and built off the back of that. We also came back to pre-season training early last year, like we are doing this year.

"We have a good group of young players who are incredibly committed. They are a hungry group.

"We have set a target for next season; we want to get promoted again. They are a young set of players who are still growing. We want to be playing Premier League rugby league after this year.

"We will have a few new additions to give us a little bit more depth and quality.

"It's looking really good for next year. There is always that little bit of pressure going in as champions. We have also been invited into the Challenge Cup for 2020 too. But I would rather us go up as champions than through the play-offs, you want to win things.

"We will have a derby against Stanningley next season. We always have battles against them."

Hunkin also heaped praise on his entertainers, who notched up the third-best points total during their 2019 campaign. He added although West Bowling do not charge an admission fee, fans may well be prepared to pay to watch his side due to the excitement they saw this season.

He added: "We were the third-highest points scorer in the English game last season behind Toronto Wolfpack and St Helens. We scored 891 points in the league, 977 in total if you include the Challenge Cup.

"They are a fantastic team to watch."