Hull Seahawks: Everyone under pressure as Seahawks search for elusive consitency
MATTY DAVIES admits the pressure is on every single member of his Hull Seahawks roster following the return of defenceman Brock Bartholomew.
The 24-year-old is due to arrive back in Hull on Sunday and will be presented to fans at that evening’s NIHL National derby game against fierce rivals Sheffield Steeldogs.
Bartholomew should make his debut next Saturday at Telford Tigers, once he has had a full week of training with a club he impressed so much with during the 2023-24 campaign.
It means one of Davies’s four current import forwards – Jordy Stallard, Johnny Corneil, Owen Sobchak and Emil Svec – will sit out.
But it also means there will be some changes to the Seahawks’ D-core, with Bartholomew expected to slot back in on the top pairing.
Before Sunday’s visit from the Steeldogs, Hull have a tough trip to Milton Keynes Lightning to negotiate, Tim Wallace’s team sat just two places and three points ahead of their East Yorkshire rivals.
“I think it is like any change - there is pressure, probably, on everybody on the team with the addition of Brock,” said Davies. “The imports, the D-men - everybody.
“As I said to them all on Thursday, we’re sat eighth in the table and no matter what anyone thinks of our team and the league, we shouldn’t be an eighth-placed team - that’s fairly clear for anybody who has a brain.
“So we need to be better, it’s just not been good enough overall and so, yeah, everybody is under pressure.
“As regards the imports, it's just a consistency thing. And the fact is we’ve got five imports now and one will be sitting every game once Brock gets in and it is on them to show me who wants to play the most, basically.”
On the immediate challenge facing his inconsistent team this weekend, Davies believes his team are capable of posting a four-point weekend – but only if they play to their full potential.
"MK are a little bit like us at the moment, win one, lose one – they just haven’t found their feet yet,” said Davies, whose team have won just once on the road this season.
“It’s always a tough place to go but I think we can definitely go there and win. Our away form has been up and down – actually, pretty much down – for most of the year, so we need to turn it on at some point on the road and start winning more regularly.
"MK would be a great place to do that.”
Ahead of their Ice Sheffield clash with Peterborough Phantoms on Saturday, the Steeldogs boast a six-game winning streak which has catapulted them up to third in the table.
Home is where Hull are strongest this season and will be hoping to make it six wins from six there on Sunday.
"The Steeldogs are clearly playing well,” added Davies. “The hierarchy there are clearly keen on wanting to win and making a splash this year.
“Clearly they have got a lot of guys in and are spending a lot more money. They are a good team - the Steelers won’t put their name to something that isn’t good, that’s not what they’re about.
“They have some really good forwards – Sommer is still one of the best in the league for me – and the import D-man Garcia has obviously been a really good signing for them.
"It’s going to be a big night – Remembrance Sunday, Brock is going to be there and we’re expecting a big crowd.
“We have been good at home, we haven’t lost at home since September. We need to make sure we maintain that – but we’re going to have to be good to beat Sheffield.”