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Phil and Jonny agree new deals

8/ 5/2008

SEDGLEY Park are busy trying to formulate their squad for next season after beating the drop in National League One by the skin of their teeth.

Top points scorer Phil Jones and hooker Jonny Roddan look certain to stay put having agreed new deals with the Tigers.

And the club say that new contract talks ‘are progressing’ with the likes of Phil Gazzola, Glen Townson, Adam Newton, Chris Leck, Chris Hall and Andy Craig.

Top try scorers Chris Briers and John Skurr have already decided to leave Sedgley Park for Rotherham Titans.

The club say that they are looking into making new signings and are more than happy to promote any members of their second team who have shown that they deserve a crack at first team rugby.

Behind the scenes, the club have redefined some management roles with John Smith having been elected president and former incumbent Geoff Roberts now concentrating on first team affairs.

Roberts insists that the Rugby Football Union ‘want to chuck clubs like Sedgley out’ amid plans to cut League One from 16 clubs to 12.

His response to that is to let his players off the leash, telling them to entertain the fans and enjoy themselves with a more cavalier brand of rugby.

Roberts says that he does not want his team trying to accumulate just enough points to stay up and being forced to play unattractive rugby union in the process.

He said: "We want our players to enjoy playing so we are going to do away with the restrictions placed on them in the past and adopt a more cavalier approach. Hopefully, they will appreciate that and so will the fans."

Meanwhile, Sedgley Park are starting up an under-21s side for next season. The team will mainly consist of college and university players, play once or twice a month on weekday evenings and be fully recognised by Lancashire RFU.