However, regulars at the Abbey Road parish will know that the Burley way never makes things that easy. Instead, they had to come from behind to claim a nail-biting 22-21 victory to open the season’s account.

Following a heavy defeat to Halifax in the season curtain-raiser, Burley went into their home opener determined to get their first points on the board. The visit of Leeds Corinthians always serves up a physical encounter, so the hosts approached Sam Heaton’s captaincy debut knowing they would need to put their bodies on the line.

Fortunately, they were able to call on Yorkshire’s strongest prop Will Webb and former vice-captain Lloyd Roberts in the front row, while Dan Smith added size to the centres with last week’s Player of the Match Josh Anderson moving to fullback. Fresh ideas and energy were provided by debutants Ash Kay, Isaac Jones and the ‘Counties 3 Currys’, Isaac and Elliot Watson.

The Maroons made the perfect start as strong work by the forwards allowed Isaac Watson to burrow over the line to open the scoring, with vice-captain Liam Clark converting. A series of crunching hits by Will Graveling and Liam Reed helped pin the visitors in their own half as the pressure mounted and their frustrations started to build.

With an increasing number of faces turning ‘Corinthians crimson’, the visitors’ discipline began to slip as Isaac Watson was struck in the face, resulting in a sin-bin for the 13 and the captain being marched back for backchat.

Opportunism by Josh Anderson allowed him to regather his own chip and chase, extending Burley’s lead, before a Liam Clark penalty put the hosts in a commanding position. Despite a Corinthians try, more encouraging play by Isaac Jones and Thabo Nemukula left Burley on the front foot, while Ash Kay’s tough tackling stifled any visiting momentum until he was forced off.

A croc roll on Mason Crookes forced him from the field and earned Corinthians their second yellow card of the game, ensuring momentum was squarely with the hosts going into the interval. Wise words from coach/super-sub/mascot Tom Barnes called for more of the same, yet Burley instead decided to boost Pete Leeman’s blood pressure with a nervous start to the second period.

Two early tries turned the match on its head in an instant, leaving Corinthians in front by 21-17. They received their third yellow of the match for a tip-tackle on Sam Heaton, before Will Webb became the latest to be on the end of a blow, as a visiting player kindly tried to straighten his nose in a scrum. Liam Reed was next to be injured, dislocating his shoulder in a tackle, while Harry Francis’ hamstring was living a charmed life as snipers circled.

But momentum shifted once again when Lewis Brunton foiled a three-on-one to pull off a miraculous try-saving tackle to keep Burley in the match. The Watson brothers combined with a series of herculean carries, while Dan Smith sat down an opponent with a fearsome hit. Smith then managed to steal the ball in a maul near the Corinthians line and crash over to restore the home side’s lead.

Savvy game management by Heaton and Clark negotiated the final stages of the match, with the latter’s late penalty drifting wide but carrying over the dead ball line to secure a tense 22-21 victory. With a bus trip to Thirsk beckoning, Burley have their first points on the board and a chance to build momentum for the rest of the season - let’s hope the bus is fitted with a defibrillator for nervous spectators!