Eagles relax at long last

Eagles are nine points clear of the drop zone with three games remaining, meaning Rochdale will no longer be able to catch them, ensuring the South Yorkshire club's place in the 2008 set-up.

Eagles' recent good run of form has seen them rise into the play-off places and are battling with Sunday's opposition for the final play-off spot.

"There's a healthy rivalry between us and Dewsbury," explained coach Mark Aston.

"We pushed them all the way last year and they pipped us to winning the league and we had to go through the play-off system to be promoted. This season we knocked them out of the Challenge Cup, but they turned us over at our place in the league, so we're aiming to swing the result back in our favour again."

Although Eagles are not in a position to claim a place in Super League, Aston reckons that earning a play-off spot is vital for the club.

"We're about to be the first club to be promoted from National League Two and not to go down again the following season," he said.

"We always said that once we got into National League One, we could quickly consolidate and become a force to be reckoned with.

"By claiming a play-off spot, we'll be sending a message out to not only all those people who doubted us, but also the quality players we've been trying to attract to the club over the last few years. We're proving we're mixing it with the big boys and that can only be a good thing for us."

Earlier this week, Richard Newlove and Tommy Trayler were signed until 2008, bringing Aston's new year signings to seven.