HEWORTH ARLC are hoping a feelgood factor can send them on the road to promotion as they embark on their Yorkshire Men's League division one campaign.

The Villagers have played three games in the pre-season Forty-20 Cup competition and got off the mark in the third match 12 days ago with a splendid 40-28 win at Wibsey Warriors.

They now start the league campaign on Saturday at home to Skirlaugh Bulls 'A' (2.30pm) and, while they were pipped by the same opposition two and a half weeks ago, they are confident of overturning that result and kicking off with a win as they seek to rise back up the amateur rugby league ranks.

Head coach George Elliott, at 24 one of the youngest in the game, said: "The lads are buzzing at the minute. We had 33 down training on Tuesday night and that's happening every week.

"We've gone from having 17 or 18 down to having 30-odd. A few people have come back down and everything is going in the right direction.

"If you take Fozzie (veteran Wayne Foster) out of the equation, they're all between 20 and mid-20s.

"It's a confidence thing in some ways. But once we get a roll on and a few good wins, we can get a buzz around the place again.

"I think it's been a bit stale in recent times but that's changing."

Elliott reckons cutting out penalties could be key to victory on Saturday.

"We gave 19 away in the defeat to York Acorn 'A' and 13 against Skirlaugh. Against Wibsey we gave four away.

"If it wasn't for the horrible wind and poor pitch it would've been a bigger win. In the first half we blitzed them.

"That Wibsey team were better than Skirlaugh and if we get a good performance on Saturday we should start with a good win."

Acorn 'A', who breezed into the Forty-20 Cup final last week, start their premier division campaign at home to Doncaster Toll Bar.

York Lokomotive's division two campaign begins later in the month.