Hunslet v Keighley Cougars: Boss Alan Kilshaw excited to see new-look squad in Challenge Cup action

The Parksiders have a new-look squad, with 18 signings made since their previous match and are mid-way through pre-season building up to the League One opener at London Skolars on March 26.

Of Hunslet’s initial 21-man squad for this weekend's home tie, only Jimmy Watson, Wayne Reittie, Kiedan Hartley, Dave Gibbons, Harvey Hallas, Harvey Whiteley, Duane Straugheir and Joe Summers featured with the Parksiders in 2021.

Hunslet have not had a warm-up game and Kilshaw admitted: “There is a buzz around the club, but the key word is probably patience.”

He stressed: “We have got to be patient, there will probably be nine or 10 on debut on Sunday.

“It would be nice to hit the ground running, but I’ve been in the sport long enough to know there might be some scratchy periods.

“But there is some excitement and hopefully that’ll produce a performance this weekend we can build on and hopefully we’ll get into the next round as well.”

The clash at South Leeds Stadium is one of three ties between semi-professional clubs.

The other League One teams face amateur opposition and Kilshaw said: “Any draw at this stage would be difficult.

“We are preparing for a season that starts in mid-March so it is a difficult one for all the League One clubs at this stage of the year and if we had got an amateur club that would have been equally as tough.

“Sometimes it’s better the devil you know, so it’s more about just focusing on us.

“There’s not much video we can do or prep’ on Keighley because they’ve got a number of new players and so have we.

“It’s more about us this week and doing what we can control.”

The Hunslet boss added: “Any game will help our prep’ and we are going all out to win it because we respect the competition.

“It has got a lot of history and heritage, the younger lads have grown up watching it and the senior players have played in it before for different clubs and also Hunslet.

“Both sides might be a bit under-cooked and not as sharp as they might have been a couple of weeks into the season, but we have had a decent hit out against [Hunslet Club] Parkside on Wednesday, a bit of a training game and one against East Leeds on Friday.

“That’s really the only contact we’ve done in a 13 v 13 format.”

Hunslet have been training since early November and Kilshaw said pre-season has been “really good”.

He said: “I can’t fault the players and their attitude.

“They’ve all committed to the journey we are on.

“A lot of coaches talk about culture, but for me it is about everyday habits and our lads’ habits have been outstanding.

“They have committed to what we want from them and some of them have changed their lifestyles as well.

“I can’t praise them enough, but we do need to convert that practice into performances throughout the year.”

Hunslet: from Watson, Reittie, Render, Mossop, Hartley, Gibbons, Mallinson, Hallas, Whiteley, Straugheir, Jordan-Roberts, Summers, Syme, Berry, O’Hanlon, Stableford, Kaye, Bodman, Horn, Paga, Moorhouse.

Referee: Cameron Worsley (Castleford).

Kick-off: Sunday, 3pm.

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