'We have to face reality, we’ve not got the biggest budget in the world – and we’ll be trimming it even more – so just staying in ND1 has been a success,” he said.
“It’s put everyone in a good frame of mind for next season when we can look forward to local derbies against Manchester and renewing Roses clashes with Otley and Leeds.

'We've a good relationship with Dave Baldwin and it will be good pitting ourselves against the boys from Cheadle Hulme to see which club is top dog in not only Manchester but Lancashire.

'However, we’re going to approach things differently. There are plans to cut ND1 from 16 to 12 fully professional clubs. Well, we refuse to be driven down that route.

“So instead of trying to accumulate enough points just to stay up – and being forced to play unattractive rugby in the process – we’re going to go out and play attacking, attractive rugby.

“We want our players to enjoy playing, so we’re going to do away with the restrictions placed on them in the past and adopt a more cavalier approach. Hopefully they will appreciate it and so will the fans.”

Having already seen current top try scorers Chris Briers and Jon Skurr sign for the Titans, the Tigers are busy assembling as strong a squad as possible for when hostilities renew.

“We need to keep as much of the backbone of the side as possible and have agreed terms with top points scorer Phil Jones and hooker Jonny Roddam,” added Roberts.

“Talks are also progressing with the likes of Phil Gazzola, Glen Townson, Adam Newton, Chris Leck, Chris Hall and Andy Craig. In particular we’re looking to strengthen the back row, centres and wings.

“We are looking at new signings, although current regulations rule out virtually all foreign players unless they have British passports.

“We’re also discussing with Rich Senior the possibility of introducing second team players as and when he thinks they are up to it; they’ll get their chance when they are ready, but only when they are ready.

'Some people tend to think we don't pay much attention to the seconds but I can assure everyone that we do. We constantly monitor their their progress and we are in constant dialogue with Rich Senior to see which of them is ready to make the step up. But it would be unfair to pick them if they are not quite ready.'
 

● FOUR Tigers have been selected to play for Lancashire against Warwickshire at Preston Grasshoppers on Saturday (kick-off 3pm) in the first of this season’s Rugby Union County Championship qualifying games, as the Red Rose side aim to win back the Bill Beaumont Trophy after Devon took it off them last season. Matt Riley, Chris Briers, Petrus Du Plessis and Juan Crous have all been named in the starting 15, along with former Sedgley players Steve Nutt and Jason Duffy, who has been named skipper.

Lancashire v Warwickshire at Preston Grasshoppers, Saturday, kick-off 3pm: Riley (Sedgley Park); Royle (Fylde), Briers (Sedgley Park), Duffy (Waterloo), Brennand (Fylde); Nutt (Fylde), Doherty (Wharfedale); Flynn (Manchester), Ince (Waterloo), Du Plessis (Sedgley Park), McGowan (Rotherham), Banks (Fylde), Crous (Sedgley Park), Palmer (Birkenhead Park), Moss (Manchester). Replacements: Jones (Waterloo), Nugent (Waterloo), Tyms (Fylde), York (Waterloo), Kenyon (Fylde), Davies (Waterloo), Wilson (Preston Grasshoppers).