The pre-season training at the Atoms has moved along at a swift pace with the intention of being fully prepared for the season ahead.  A number of changes in personnel, coaching staff and Division status have kept all at the club on their toes

.

Andy Aldren and Bryan Cambidge announced their retirements from the playing side of the club after giving loyal and committed service that has spanned over 15 seasons and a total approaching nearly 750 first team games between them.  Players of this calibre are almost impossible to replace and coupled with the added loss of last year's players' player- Brian Graham who has taken up a teaching post South of Manchester.

On the plus side Guy Richardson and Steve Graham have returned to the club and a crop of promising youngsters will now have the opportunity to make an impression.

David Crow has refined his role to become the co-ordinator of coaching after securing the services of the highly rated Australian coach Scott Saddler.  Scott will be assisted in his coaching duties by Randal Raines, Andy Helme and Chris Needam who is also the new Chairman of the Club.

Ex Kells player and St. Martins College student Gary Lithgow will captain the side from either the hooker or scrum half position.  The experience he brings could prove to be invaluable, as the Atoms have been promoted to Division 3.  The re-structuring of the North West Counties Leagues, making each league 12 instead of 11, means the 4 th . Placed Atoms have been moved up a level.

The Atoms now face a very tough League fixture list so it was vital that the pre-season friendlies were of a highly competitive nature.  These games came in the form of two away trips to Bank Top at Bradford and Hindpool at Barrow.

The trip to Bradford, on a very hot day, saw the Atoms lose a close game by 32 points to 22.  The sliding defence and a completion rate of only 30% were areas of most concern for the coaches but the team were still able to cross the whitewash on 4 occasions.  Captain Gary Lithgow and prop forward Liam Hall scored a couple of tries apiece.  Loose Forward Mark Walker was the stand out player for the Atoms being pushed all the way by Gary Lithgow and Andy Helme.

Coach Scott Saddler highlighted the completion of the sets of 6 as the area that required most attention as he planned the training sessions for the week.  A trip to Barrow came the following Saturday with the Atoms looking a little stronger than the previous week having Sean Weed, Greg Sykes and Guy Richardson enhancing the squad.  The work on the training park appeared to be paying off as their first 8 possessions of the ball were all completed. Liam Hall completed a marvellous hat trick showing that he certainly knows where the try line is, taking his total to 5 tries in 2 games.  Billy Livingstone crossed the line also and Sean Weed completed over 30 tackles, which gained him the man of the match award.  The game was in the balance right up until the final hooter as Liam Hall crashed over in the dying seconds to secure his side victory.  Billy Livingstone converted from the touchline to give the Atoms a morale boosting victory by 20 points to 16.

These two games were ideal preparation with everyone benefiting from two tough hit-outs.  Young props James Hesketh and Josh O'Donnell benefited more than most in their introduction to senior Rugby League with both having great matches in both disciplines of the game, showing real potential for the future.

The Atoms get a rest next weekend, as it is Challenge Cup final weekend at the new Wembley.  They can now look forward to the opening game of the season on the 1 st . September against Cumbrian opposition in the form of Dalton, which will be played at Heysham High School.  With all players pushing to impress the new coach selection for this opening game is done from a position of real strength and will be interesting in its outcome.

Friedlies Squad: C.HALL, M.JARVIS, J.PYRAH, G.WINDER, M.HOLMES, S.GRAHAM, M.MacINTYRE, G.RICHARDSON, SEAN WEED, A.HELME, G.LITHGOW, K.HARTLEBURY, M.WALKER, L.HALL, N.WALKER, SHANE WEED, L.HARVEY, G.DONNOVAN, C.HELME, G.SYKES, G.HELLIWELL, P.LIVINGSTONE, B.LIVINGSTONE, J.HESKETH, J.O'DONNELL.