Leeds Tykes focused on just themselves as Rotherham Titans keep up the pressure of the chase

Leeds Tykes, with a straight set of victories in all 14 games this term, lead the division with a mighty 69 points.

Close behind in second place are Rotherham Titans with 63 points, who possess an equally impressive win record marred only by a defeat to their West Yorkshire rivals.

Tykes look to continue their hot streak today at home to second-bottom Hull Ionians, and general manager Jake Brady says the former Premiership side are thinking about nothing else.

“I know it’s a cliché, but it’s true: you just look at every game on its own,” Brady told The Yorkshire Post.

“Last week, we focused completely on Tynedale and that was a tough place to go.

“You can’t really think too much about Rotherham behind us, chasing us and trying to close the gap, because you’ll take your eye off the game and the threat that’s right ahead of you. You’ve just got to take every game as it comes.

“We’ll worry more about Rotherham when it gets closer to March.”

The aforementioned visit to Tynedale saw Tykes 12 points down in the first 20 minutes, compounded by having a man in the sin bin.

Despite this hard start to the new year, the league leaders responded with 35 points of their own within the remaining hour of play – showing all the hallmarks of apparent champions-in-waiting.

With Hull Ionians next up at The Sycamores this afternoon, Brady knows his side face another potential banana skin.

The second-rower added: “I think Hull will be scrapping and fighting for everything. Their league position shows they’re in a tough position, but I don’t think it’s really reflective of the team and players they’ve got.

“They’ve got nothing to lose coming down to play against us, so I expect it’ll be a tough game and a physical one.

“They will definitely play their part in it, but hopefully we’re able to use the momentum we’ve built over the last 14 games to carry on our winning streak.”

One man who certainly knows the challenge ahead of his side is Ionians head coach Joe Makin. The club are currently on a seven-game losing run, but Makin believes they are on the verge of brighter days – even if that is likely to be after this weekend’s match.

Makin said: “We’re not focusing, as a general rule, too much on the result if I’m completely honest.

“Obviously Leeds have done extremely well.

“We’ve got an important batch of fixtures following this week where, I think, every game we play will be a winnable one bar a tough challenge at Rotherham.

“Every other game until the end of the season is winnable for us.

“We’re looking for a level of performance (this Saturday) which will set us up for some important fixtures, which we must win in the next two or three months leading into the end of the season.”

Those upcoming matches – against the likes of fellow strugglers Preston Grasshoppers, Billingham and Lymm – could see Ionians’ fortunes change.

For a club aiming to stave off relegation, the main target for now is sustained self-improvement.

“The boys are very invested in getting better,” he added.

“We are definitely focusing on things to improve on with our performance. It’s just that were not seeing it with the results yet, but hopefully that will change in the coming weeks.”