Match Preview

On Saturday, Crusaders Open Age travel to Winlaton to take on Gateshead Storm A in their remaining game of the regular rounds in the North East Men's Competition.
Crusaders will be buoyed by last weeks victory over Durham Tigers, but travel with only 9 of that team available. Of the 21 players that make up the squad, Alex Pederson and James Bromley make their debut whilst Andrew Stubbs returns having missed last week.
Martin Chambers, who won the Crusaders Man of Iron last season and the season before, returns to the fold, having played on only one other occasion this season. He brings with him his sidekick Jonny Saint who has also been a long term absentee due to personal circumstances.
Also on the extended period returnee list is, Mike Kelly, Jim Tynan, Harry O'Connor, Don Payne, Ben Smith and Adam Coburn, who was playing in the Coast to Coast competition for the Touch team last week.
Luke McQuade remains the squad's only ever present and runner for the Man of Iron (present in every fixture), for this season.
Since their return to competition Rugby League in 2016, Crusaders Open Age have made steady progress season on season and have been competitive in every game this season bar one. This leaves Crusaders in a position that should they win by more than 15 points on Saturday, they will leap frog Durham Demons and end up in unfamiliar ground for the last 3 games ...... the top 4. Doing so would be a great achievement but standards the the Men's League have improved across the board this season and Crusaders are expecting no easy ride from the "look up to" club in North East Rugby League, and neither would we want it that way.