Sheffield Steeldogs v Telford Tigers - Steve Weeks vows Dogs will fight on despite bleak chances

HIS team’s NIHL National play-off chances may be hanging by a thread but head coach Steve Weeks vows Sheffield Steeldogs will keep battling until the bitter end.
By Phil Harrison
Published 9th Mar 2024, 12:15 GMT

This weekend could potentially see the Steeldogs’ fast-fading hopes of making the post-season finally ended.

It would require them to lose Sunday’s home clash with Telford Tigers and a number of results elsewhere to go against them over the next 48 hours, but it remains a possibility.

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The likelihood is that the Steeldogs’ mathematical hopes of extending their desperate 2023-24 campaign will go on for at least one more week. Either way, they will see out their campaign short on a number of key bodies.

LONG-TERM: Sheffield Steeldogs' defenceman Ben Morgan is expected to be out injured for the rest of the season. Picture: Tony Johnson.LONG-TERM: Sheffield Steeldogs' defenceman Ben Morgan is expected to be out injured for the rest of the season. Picture: Tony Johnson.
LONG-TERM: Sheffield Steeldogs' defenceman Ben Morgan is expected to be out injured for the rest of the season. Picture: Tony Johnson.

Veterans Ben Morgan and Jonathan Phillips are more or less done for the season, says Weeks, with Tom Palmer, Tate Shudra and Cam Brownley joining them on the sidelines, also most likely for the rest of the campaign.

Add into the mix the fact that former player-coach Jason Hewitt still has six more games of an eight-game ban to serve and it easy to see how the odds continue to be stacked against a team currently sat second-bottom, 11 points adrift of the eighth and final play-off spot and with just eight games remaining.

But a defiant Weeks says the team is determined to produce a positive end to the campaign, regardless of whenever the door is shut on their play-off hopes.

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“I can’t really fault the boys to be honest because they are putting in a really good shift with a lot of key guys missing,” said Weeks.

TIME RUNNING OUT: Sheffield Steeldogs' head coach, Steve Weeks Picture: Peter Best/Steeldogs Media.TIME RUNNING OUT: Sheffield Steeldogs' head coach, Steve Weeks Picture: Peter Best/Steeldogs Media.
TIME RUNNING OUT: Sheffield Steeldogs' head coach, Steve Weeks Picture: Peter Best/Steeldogs Media.

“We’re running on bare bones at the moment, but that makes it a good opportunity for those players we do have and some of the younger ones to stake a claim.

“It’s tough as it is and it’s going to be tough again this weekend because we’re still going to be short but, credit to the boys, I couldn’t fault anyone for their efforts at Telford last Sunday, I was proud of them.

“It’s been a tough season, but we’re just trying to finish in the best way we can. We’ll keep going until it’s mathematically done in terms of the play-offs, but even when that happens, we’ll still be going out there and putting in a good shift in every game.

“There is always something to play for whether it’s the fans, pride or a spot on the team.”

Related topics:DogsJason HewittJonathan Phillips