We played Ashton Bears A a few years ago at their place. It was cold, it was wet, and we were stuck on the East Lancs road because of an accident so half the team arrived after kick off! Like any A-Team from a more established club they could be very strong or made up of ‘irregulars’.

We travel to them on June 30th and they come to us on September 29th.

Bolton Mets

Pre-season form: W 18-14 , L 22-34, L 20-30

Our near neighbours! After struggling against Bolton the first few times we played them we have won the last two with a 44 – 4 win at Bolton in February last year and a late late show at our place last November to get an 18 – 14 win (grabbing two tries in the last 6 minutes to win it was bad for the blood pressure but showed great heart!). Bolton have a new coach on board and have been in pre-season a few weeks longer than us so we should expect them to be a tough outfit once again.

We’ve a nice early derby game at their place in Round 3, on May 12th before they come to us on August 11th – look out for that one as we’ll aim to do something extra special for the day itself.

Chester Gladiators

Pre-season form: L 8-44, L 4-33, L 36-42, L 28-42

Chester is another side we’ve met a few times both in the interim league last year but also in the merit league we played in a few years ago. It’s good to have another club from the ‘fringes’ of the rugby league heartlands to play against, especially another who are looking to put down genuine community roots with junior sides too.

A couple of Gladiators have stepped up to play for the North Wales Crusaders this year but we still expect them to be strong. They aim to run an A team also and we too will look to play the odd A team game so look out for some double-headers.

We go to Chester on October 13th and they come to us on 28th July

Crosfields 'A'

Pre-season form: Unknown

It was, er, interesting against Crosfields last year! We were due to play them in the first half of the NWC Season but we couldn’t get hold of anyone at the club and eventually it was postponed. As a result, we played two almost entirely different Crosfield sides just a few weeks apart in March and April.

We lost narrowly 30 – 22 at their place in a bad tempered affair that saw them have two players sent off while a player from each side was sin-binned. At our place a few weeks later a very different Crosfields side turned up full of young lads who tried their best before we eventually won 50 - 22. It’ll be interesting to see who they have this time!

We open up with Crosfields visiting us in Round 1 this year on April 21st and it is not long before we go to them on June 16th.

Culcheth Eagles

Pre-season form: W 22-20, L 18-20, W 24-14, L 4-17, L 0-18, W 26-16

We’d never had a player sent off until we went to Culcheth in the cup for our only ever meeting – then had two sent off in one day!

We took a weakened side to near Warrington and asked a few guys to play out of position but in the end we were over-powered. Neither red card was justified in a game that was not at all bad tempered as both sides came to terms with some strange decisions (forming a scrum because the ball struck the goalposts was just one!). The game was marred by a serious injury to one of their players which forced us to change pitch. A day to forget for all concerned.

We’ve Culcheth at home on May 19th and away on September 8th.

Fitton Hill & Hathershaw Bulldogs

Pre-season form: W 6, L 13 in NWC Division Four

Fitton Hill & Hathershaw are new to us, but as it happens, they are a club that the old Bury/Prestwich sides played against in the 1980s. For them, and us, it’s a case of building from the bottom having had a side in the past.

We travel to Oldham in Week 2, April 28th. We then play them at home on September 15th.

Hindley "A"

Pre-season form: L 0-38, W 30-14

We’d had enough of Hindley by the time they eventually moved out of our division in the NWC league! A very fit, well disciplined and strong heartland club they were far far too good to be starting from the bottom of the NWC at the same time as us. We actually gave them a real game at their place in their first year and this year we will come up against their A team and that should see us have a real go.

We play Hindley at Philips on June 23rd and away on 22nd September

Little Hulton Reds

Pre-season form: L 20-22, W 30-20

Little Hulton will be playing their games on Rabbit Hills in Salford – a ground a few of us know well!

They have been going a couple of years and beat us last year in the summer with a few lads from other Salford sides giving summer rugby a go. Whether those lads will still be with them we don’t know but we’ll have a crack at them anyway.

At home we play Little Hulton on 26th May and away on August 4th

Portico Vine

Pre-season form: Unknown

Portico used to have a club in the upper divisions of the NWC as well as their junior sides but this is a return to adult rugby for the club. Known in the past for being a tough side physically we’ll need to be on top form when we go to St. Helens for this fixture.

We play them at home on 21st July, and away on June 9th

Wigan Bulldogs

Pre-season form: W 3, L 15 in NWC Division Three

Another club we’ve played in our days in the NWC – Bulldogs are a side we’ve played quite a bit. Based on on-field results they may be unlucky to not have been placed a division higher but never mind. We played Bulldogs in our first ever league match in 2008 losing 28 – 16. We conceded in the last minute as we desperately chased an equalising score that day and games have been reasonably close ever since.

We play them on July 7th at home and away on August 18th

Woolston Rovers "A"

Pre-season form: W 14, D 3, L 2 in NWC Division Four (Champions)

Another ‘A’ side from Warrington, Woolston were early pioneers of summer rugby before switching back to winter while the rest of us caught up!

They come to us on September 1st and we go to Warrington on July 14th