YORK Acorn RLFC coach Leigh Paul-Rientoul has warned his side do not need to play like “world-beaters” ahead of their “biggest test of the season”.

Saturday sees the Blue and Golds travel to Kingstone Press National Conference League division one leaders Thornhill Trojans.

And Paul-Rientoul believes the Trojans have the bit between their teeth, having enjoyed two promotions in three years and head into the weekend’s game with a five-game unbeaten run behind them.

After suffering narrow 11-10 opening-day defeat at Oulton Raiders, Thornhill have drawn two and won three of their fixtures and in the last two weeks have enjoyed a 44-0 win at Shaw Cross Sharks and a 34-30 home win against Leigh Miners Rangers.

However, Acorn are also going well in the division, sitting fourth and level on points with the Trojans having played one game fewer.

Acorn bounced back from 30-18 defeat at Pilkington Recs a fortnight ago with a dominant 34-12 victory over Shaw Cross Sharks.

And their growing maturity as a side pleases Paul-Rientoul – who has seen his side exhibit naivety at times – but he believes they still have a little way to go yet.

He said: “We’ve got a big test against Thornhill Trojans – probably our biggest test of the season so far.

“They’re a physical side and they’ve just come back up having won division three and division two, so it looks like they’re trying to get in the premier division.

“We just need to make sure we’re sticking to our game plan. Last week we were 22-0 up and then tried to be world-beaters.

“We don’t need to do that and probably would’ve ended up 50 points up otherwise.

“We made hard work of it at times. They had sacked the coach and came with a weakened side so we would’ve enjoyed a few more points while we struggled on defence around the edges.

“We’re Looking to improve on that defence and on game management – making sure we don’t get excited and feel the need to score every set, not forcing passes and trying to play like a Super League side.”

Acorn will make a few changes to the side that saw off Sharks, with Josh Thompson, Matthew Woods and Reece Rushworth now suspended.

Although eligible for the game on Saturday, the players’ bans came into force on Monday following their dismissals against Featherstone Lions – a game that saw five players in all sent off for a 70th-minute fight.

Paul-Rientoul, though, is confident he will have enough cover for the meeting with the table-toppers – and might even have the added bonus of encouraging the offending members of his team to clean up their act.

He said: “It was a tasty game, the first of the season. Nothing major.

“We’ve got a healthy squad and players who can stand in, maybe make them (the suspended players) think twice if those players do come in and play well.

“It makes them think about their discipline.”

Jack Byrnes, James Bromwich and Harry Bromwich are all available again for selection again while Luke Swales and Darryl North are likely to retain their place from last week.