Sheffield Steeldogs have NIHL National double in their sights as they look to tame play-off rivals Telford Tigers

Win a Cup competition. Tick. Finish third in the regular season league standings. Tick. Make it to the final four weekend. Tick.

But as head coach Greg Wood says: ‘Why stop there?’

But for an outbreak of Covid on the roster around Christmas, the Steeldogs may have pushed Saturday’s play-off semi-final opponents Telford Tigers closer for the league title.

As it was, they had to be satisfied with comfortably beating them over two legs in the final of National Cup last month, leaving both teams eyeing a double this weekend at the SkyDome Arena.

And it is those two performances that head coach Wood wants his players to draw on in order for them to make it over the line and into Sunday’s final where either Milton Keynes Lightning or Peterborough Phantoms will await.

“We’ve achieved our treble which was to win a cup, finish top three in the league and make it to this weekend.

“But now we’re there, we want to take it one step further and we’re desperate to come out of this season with a double - but I’m sure Telford are too.

“We’re playing a very good team that’s been the most consistent team all year and that is why they are league champions.

“Our record against them has been really good and the cup final was a prime example of that – the way we played, the intensity, the smartness and the decisions we made, it was arguably the best two games we’ve played all year.”

The Steeldogs will make a game-day decision on key forward James Spurr, missing since January with an upper-body injury but whose return would offer a significant boost, insists Wood.

“He’s a great player,” said Wood. “Just having him back around the dressing room and having him back in only makes us stronger. We have missed him and we’re hoping he can play a part.”