Hood’s not prepared to think about opposition

Feb 28 2010 by Nick Purewal, Sunday Sun

METICULOUS Gateshead Thunder boss Chris Hood has purposely underprepared his team for today’s Championship One opener at Hunslet.

Thunder take on the Hawks with the spectre of their six-point RFL penalty for falling into close-season administration looming large as the league campaign kicks off.

After an off-season where Steve Garside withdrew his financial support, the club’s holding company was forced to fold and boss Hood had to battle to keep the club alive before assembling an all-new squad, the start of the serious action is finally upon the Gateshead men.

Off the back of a winless Northern Rail Cup run which was as much tortuous as beneficial from a development standpoint, Thunder now must take the plunge into the murky waters of the Championship One.

Rather than prep his charges in the usual manner by running the rule over the opposition and working out where best to exploit weaknesses, Hood admitted he has done no video analysis on Hunslet whatsoever.

Admitting scrutinising the opposition would only shift the focus from his own team and the dynamics his players must grasp this afternoon (kick-off 3.00), Hood said: “This is the first time in my coaching career that I have not prepared a video of the opposition, because it has been completely about us.