Player Feature: Liam Welham
With only days to go before the Hurricanes make their 2023 debut in Sundays friendly against Swinton Lions , Player/Assistant Coach Liam Welham has issued a rallying cry to the Midland supporters and followers for the upcoming season to back his troops who are intent on making an impact in the upcoming League One Campaign .
Experienced Centre Welham is coming into his third season on the Midlands roster, after spells at both Hull Clubs , Featherstone ,Doncaster and Hunslet and this season will combine his playing duties with a back room role alongside Head Coach Richard Squires and he’s clear about what are his early goals are in the role
‘Since we’ve come back into training we’ve been focusing heavily on team morale and bonding ,whilst cementing in to place some fundamental team targets which we aim to achieve moving forward into the 2023 season. ‘
However he conceded that things haven’t always run smoothly ‘For instance the weather this week has put a halt to our on pitch practice, however ,the lads did not want to waste the little time they had and went straight into wrestle and gym sessions to master and strengthen their physical toughness and tackle smarts.
Everyone gets a lot of positives out of these sessions and it really helps bring that hard running/hitting mentality out of the squad.Rugby league as a sport is very basic but it’s also very tough. You don’t need to be the most talented on the pitch but you must be willing to be the toughest.’
Looking forward to the Swinton Game he said ‘We’re approaching this game on Sunday with a whole new play book for 2023 ,so even the retained players are at the same point as the players new to the club .
From a coaching perspective ,coming into the upcoming game with minimal practice is certainly not what we planned but in some ways it’s a blessing as us ,the coaches, will be able to clearly see which players step up to the challenge ,play tough and show willingness and desire for their shirt and the Club it represents.
And this Sunday's opponents ? ‘Firstly, congratulations are in order to the Lions on their promotion to Championship.
But the Hurricanes have not given them much of a second thought or even particularly researched their players/ team structures .
This season we are striving to be the team that others will come to fear playing against and we cannot focus too much on what the opposition can do or who they have in their line up.
We focus on us and let them do the worrying ! ‘
Always a fans favourite Liam’s final words to them as the 2023 season kicks off ‘‘Despite the odd minor setback as a team we feel confident that we’ll put on a display that will highlight to all our supporters and the people who have dedicated their time to this team what we are capable of .
We’ve only been back together a short time , and we’ve plenty of time to build and grow further before the league starts .
‘Stick with us , join the storm as it approaches and it promises to be mighty ! ‘
