Leeds Knights coach Ryan Aldridge on why he welcomes more competitive NIHL National

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LEEDS KNIGHTS face off at Romford Raiders on Saturday night no longer the leaders in NIHL National.

A road win will see that situation reversed and put them back above Milton Keynes Lightning, who replaced them at the top of the UK second-tier with a 6-3 win at home to Bristol Pitbulls on Friday night.

Regardless of the result in Essex, though, this weekend highlights how tight NIHL National has already become this season.

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Romford welcome Leeds boasting the same number points, but sat third due to an inferior goal difference.

Milton Keynes make a second visit of the season to Elland Road on Sunday knowing a win would guarantee them waking up on Monday morning as leaders.

For the past two seasons, Leeds have more often than not been the team for everybody else to catch.

This season looks like it might offer a different scenario whereby top spot changes hands on a regular basis.

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And while that might not be what some Knights fans want to hear, it will certainly make for a riveting 2024-25 campaign.

WE MEET AGAIN: Mac Howlett and Leeds Knights will be hoping for a repeat of the win they enjoyed on home ice over Milton Keynes on the season-opening weekend. Picture: Knights Media/Jacob Lowe.WE MEET AGAIN: Mac Howlett and Leeds Knights will be hoping for a repeat of the win they enjoyed on home ice over Milton Keynes on the season-opening weekend. Picture: Knights Media/Jacob Lowe.
WE MEET AGAIN: Mac Howlett and Leeds Knights will be hoping for a repeat of the win they enjoyed on home ice over Milton Keynes on the season-opening weekend. Picture: Knights Media/Jacob Lowe.

But the close nature of the league is not just confined to the top three. Just five points separate the Lightning down to Swindon Wildcats in seventh, Sheffield Steeldogs moving up to fifth courtesy of the point earned in their 4-3 overtime defeat at home to Telford Tigers on Friday night.

As far as Knights head coach Ryan Aldridge is concerned, he is not surprised at how the season has gone in the opening month. But he welcomes the competitiveness.

“It’s quite unusual that both teams we play go into the three-night weekend on the same number of points as us,” said Aldridge.

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“And it’s not really a surprise, how tight the table is overall. I just think the league is so much stronger this season and deeper, each line-up seems deeper which should make for a great season.

TIGHT AT THE TOP: Leeds Knights are tied with two other teams at the top of the NIHL National standings. Picture: Jacob Lowe/Knights Media.TIGHT AT THE TOP: Leeds Knights are tied with two other teams at the top of the NIHL National standings. Picture: Jacob Lowe/Knights Media.
TIGHT AT THE TOP: Leeds Knights are tied with two other teams at the top of the NIHL National standings. Picture: Jacob Lowe/Knights Media.

“To see a gap as small as that between the top seven teams is a bit crazy but it’s good and proves how good the league is now.”

Romford are perhaps the surprise package of the season so far.

Having parted company with Sean Easton as head coach in the summer, the GB Under-18s head coach having been behind the bench for seven years, they made last year’s top points-scorer, Adam Laishram, player-coach.

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“Romford have massively improved this year and are really good at home,” added Aldridge. “So it’s going to be a tough game down there to try and sneak two points."

Milton Keynes enjoy a night off on Saturday ahead of their trip to West Yorkshire, where they will hope to fare better than the 7-3 defeat they suffered on the opening weekend of the season. Romford travel to Peterborough Phantoms on Sunday.

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