UPDATE: Heworth ARLC's friendly against Hunslet Warriors, as detailed below, has now been called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

 

HEWORTH ARLC begin a new era tomorrow night with their first friendly of 2014 – hoping the influence of one-time Leeds prodigy Danny Allan will prove positive.

Tim Rumford’s men host Hunslet Warriors at Elm Park Way (7.30pm) as they step up preparations for their National Conference League division three season.

It could see Allan make his bow after joining as Rumford’s player/assistant-coach. The 24-year-old is back at his junior club after stepping out of the pro arena in which he played eight times for Super League giants Rhinos, along with stints at York City Knights, Featherstone, Hunslet and Doncaster.

Rumford said: “Hunslet Warriors have a Challenge Cup tie soon and asked for a friendly. Our season starts on March 1 and we’ve been training since the turn of the year, so it will be good to get a game.

“It’s great that Danny is on board. He had a really promising career as a youngster and played a few Super League games.

“It’s a great addition for us, and it’s good he approached us wanting to come back to where he started as a junior and give something back. We welcome him with open arms. His ideas and methodology have been very good.”

Up to 30 players have trained each session and between 20 and 22 of them will get a run-out tomorrow. Heworth’s planned friendly against Normanton has been cancelled but they have one more pre-season outing, at Gateshead Storm on February 22.

Rumford added he was keen to give some of the club’s under-18s a chance in the open-age arena.

“We’ve been working with Phil Sturdy (U18s coach) and will be promoting some of them,” he said.

“They won a lot of games and it’s good the pathway is flowing again.”