MATCH INFORMATION
NEWCASTLE THUNDER v KEIGHLEY COUGARS - BETFRED LEAGUE ONE ROUND NINE
SUNDAY 19TH MAY - 3PM KICK OFF
KINGSTON PARK - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE - NE13 8AF
REFEREE - MR ANDY SWEET (CASTLEFORD)
ADMISSION:
ADULT - £15 (SEATING); £13 (STANDING)
CONCESSIONS - £13 (SEATING); £11 (STANDING)
UNDER 16s - £8 (SEATING); £8 (STANDING)
TICKETS CAN BE BOUGHT BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: https://www.eticketing.co.uk/newcastle-falcons/EDP/Event/Index/1452
LINNERS: "I AM STAMPING OUT THE LAZINESS"
CRAIG Lingard has moved quickly to stamp laziness out of his Keighley Cougars squad as they look to go into positive points this weekend.
Cougars are bottom on -1 after a superb start to the Betfred League One season has seen them lose only one match so far and claw back from their -12-point pre-season deduction.
They will put this league purple patch on the line when they travel to Newcastle Thunder on Sunday (3pm kick-off). The two sides met in the first round of the 1895 Cup in their last game two weeks ago, with a much-changed Cougars side suffering a 38-12 defeat.
Lingard says he held an honest video review session with his players after identifying a lack of leadership on the pitch in their last cup clash.
Benn Hardcastle serves the second match of his three-game suspension this weekend, while Taylor Prell is unavailable for the trip to the North East.
Lingard held a video briefing with his squad following the Thunder cup defeat and wants his squad to bounce back in their league clash.
Lingard said: "I'm not seeing Sunday's game as revenge time. We learned a lot about them and I'm sure they learned a lot about us from the cup game.
"We are back to basics in the league now and that's where we are concentrating this year.
"We will hopefully get into positive points as soon as we can.
"A couple of squad players put their heads up after playing in the cup game, while a couple are still some distance away.
"With Matt Bailey, Dan Parker, Benn Hardcastle and James Feather missing from the cup game, we lost a lot of leadership. We looked for people to step up in their absence.
"After the last time we played Newcastle we had an honest video review. There was a bit of laziness in our play. There was a lack of leadership. Some people were looking around to anybody else to take the lead and set the example.
"There was laziness and we were taking shortcuts against Newcastle that I was not particularly pleased with."
TEAM NEWS
Keighley Cougars Head Coach Craig Lingard has made a number of changes as he brings his first-team regulars back into the side whilst also naming a provisional 20 man squad.
James Feather, Matthew Bailey, Will Cooke and Dan Parker all return after being rested for the 1895 Cup tie.
Harvey Hallas comes straight into the side after returning on dual-registration terms from Dewsbury Rams this week with loanee Jimmy Beckett also being named after missing the game a fortnight ago after being cup-tied by his parent club.
Alfie Seeley has recovered from the leg injury he sustained at Kingston Park in the last game and is fit to play this weekend.
Billy Gaylor (Rib) joins Matt Nicholson (Concussion) and Reece Williams (Arm) on the injury list whilst Benn Hardcastle serves the second of his three game suspension.
COUGARS: Arnold; Bailey; Beckett; Cooke; Coventry; Cullimore; Dixon; Feather; Hallas; Hallett; Levy; Lynam; Miller; Million; Muranka; Parker; Seeley; Thackray; Welham; Wray.
Newcastle Head Coach Simon Finnigan has kept the changes to a minimum as Jack Aldous returns to the 19 man squad in the only addition from the 1895 Cup victory a fortnight ago.
He replaces Tyler Craig with new signing Joel Edwards not included after arriving at Kingston park from French outfit Limoux Grizzlies earlier in the week.
Joe Brown will break Robin Peers appearance record this Sunday after equalling it in the cup win against the Cougars two weeks ago.
THUNDER: Agoro; Aldous; Blanke; Brown; Carlile; Clarke; Clegg; Coates; Coleman; Doyle-Manga; Fitzsimmons; Gill; Luckley; Marginet; McAvoy; Ollett; Rowe; Simons; Young.
MICK O'NEILL: "IT'S BEEN AN UNREAL START"
MICK O'Neill has not ruled out a top-six finish for his Keighley Cougars side after their "unreal" start to the season.
The club's chairman, who returned in January, says Cougars' explosive start to their Betfred League One season, which has included five wins and a draw from their opening seven league games, has been "beyond belief".
O'Neill, who turns 78 on May 27, wants his side to go for more success as they look to go into positive points when they travel to Newcastle Thunder in their next clash on Sunday. They will be looking for revenge after going out of the inaugural 1895 Cup via a 38-12 loss at the first round stage to the North East side on May 4. Cougars enjoyed a free weekend to rest and recharge due to the sixth round of the Coral Challenge Cup.
The face of Cougarmania says the unity among Cougars' squad and a lack of egos among their numbers has led to them chalking off the majority of their pre-season 12-point deduction.
O'Neill, who has swapped his base in Australia for Keighley this season, says he can't believe the explosive start his side has made. He said: "It's amazing, it's just beyond belief for me.
"It's incredible, the lads are playing out of their skin.
"The game next weekend is very important. We have some big games coming up against Hunslet and Oldham.
"We've got a great chance of getting in the top six. You never know what's going to happen.
"When Doncaster and Workington were coming, they were the big boys. When we knocked off Doncaster the way we did, it was great. Buster got us out of trouble against Workington. They gave us a scare.
"People don't want to play Keighley now. Looking at the table, if we didn't have the 12-point deduction, we'd be top now. It's remarkable.
"Full credit to the lads, they are a great bunch and play for each other. The lads are just nice people, there are no ego trips."
O'Neill says a number of changes are taking place off the field, with the ground's VIP bar renovated, the players' gym given a makeover and long-term plans for a new stand.
He is working with a number of the town's other sports clubs, including Keighley Albion and Keighley Cricket Club, to forge further links.
The club are also planning to bring a garden party to Cougar Park during the warmer months of the season to further enhance their family-friendly atmosphere.
O'Neill added the fun factor has returned to Cougars and has been encouraged by the town's reaction to the club's revival.
O'Neill says he loves interacting with the club's fans on matchdays and also hopes they can enjoy an exciting end to the season at Keighley.
He said: "I don't mind chatting with supporters. I spend a lot of time with the club's president Phil Stephenson. I like having a laugh with the fans.
"I still have my cowboy hat from Cougarmania in the 90s, I love it.
"We've got over the 1,000 mark, it's filling back up. I think people are sitting back and seeing what's happening at the club.
"I think we're really going for it. I hope we can get the number six place. We could have an exciting end to the season. Let's see if we can get there.
"You've got to hand it to the players, whatever we do this season, they have done great. It's a great story.
"They are all on fire. It's unreal, it's super. To get success on the park is magic."
RESERVES IN ACTION THIS SUNDAY
This Sunday is a double header at Kingston Park as Dean Muir's Keighley Cougars Reserves side are also in action.
On the back of Thursday's 40-8 defeat away at Halifax RL, Muir's side back up to play the Scotland Students side on the grass pitch located behind the main stand at Kingston Park for a 1pm kick-off.
Muir will have the same 18 players available from Thursday evening with first-team duo Kieran Moran and Jordan Fitzpatrick-Parry also included in a 20 man squad.
RESERVES: Allerton; Barlow; Broadley; Cella; Crotty; Fitzpatrick-Parry; Godward; Horn; Jeffries; Knapper; Moran; Noutch; Robinson; J Samociuk-Barnes; L Samociuk-Barnes; Smith; Sutcliffe; Williams; Wilson; Worsnop.