West Yorkshire Hawks step up English National League promotion fight against Sheffield Sharks seconds

The Hawks sit second in the division as they bid to take the top spot and sole promotion place from the fourth tier in only their second season.

Coach Byrne has been studying film from the Sharks’ second team’s previous fixtures ahead of this local derby.

“We’ve practiced this week on how we’re going to exploit their weaknesses and maximise our strengths. We’re also looking to cover our weaknesses so I’m clipping my way through it and seeing if they’re very similar to when we played them last,” said Byrne.

The training structure has differed for the head coach since coming to the Hawks from the professional tier’s Manchester Giants.

“The intensity is crazy (in Manchester) because they’re professional athletes, they come ready with that intensity and energy because that’s what they do for a living,” said Byrne. “Taking a year out last year and then coming to Division Three when we have two 90-minute sessions a week, where you’ve got to try and cram everything in, is hard.”

Hawks won their last game by 73 points against Cheshire Wire who sit sixth in the eight-team league. West Yorkshire have a game in hand on top of the league Tameside Vikings who they beat in January by 19 points.

“We’ve got five games left. We have to win all five games. If we win all five games, we’ll win the league and get promoted,” said Byrne.

“Now it’s just navigating the Sheffield game and the Tees Valley Mohawks game which is in Middlesborough. That’ll be really tricky.”

The two victories since the win against Tameside have been resounding and the head coach has been seeing a difference in the squad. They’ve realised that they’re onto something special here compared to where they were at the start of last year,” said Byrne, who noted the efforts of Dave Walsh, a consistent sharpshooter who has twice been named been named the Hawks’ player of the week. “He’s really stepped up into a leadership role on and off the court.”

Tip-off is at 6.30 at the University of Huddersfield.

Sheffield’s senior Sharks team face a Super League Basketball Cup semi-final second leg against Bristol Flyers at home, having played the first leg in Bristol on Friday.