Swire outlines stability as reason for Sheffield success

Sheffield Eagles chairman Ian Swire is delighted that that his club have once again put themselves in the frame for glory this season.

Back-to-back Championship Grand Final winners in 2012 and 2013, the Eagles have a chance of making it to the promised land of Super League, having secured a place in the Super 8s Qualifiers.

Swire puts the consistent success of the club in the last few years down to consistency and stability, plus sensible planning.

“It’s a great achievement but is one that we planned for at the start of the season,” Swire told the Yorkshire Post.

“We looked at the strengths and weaknesses of our competitors and considered that we had an extremely good chance of making the top four.

“We budgeted to win 17 out of our 23 league games which we considered would get us there and with one game left (at London this Sunday) we have won 16 and achieved our aim.

“We have had a very settled team for a few seasons now and have just added a little quality to the squad. That has made a big difference this season.”

The Eagles have to be creative and innovative to maintain their commercial revenues, as they operate in a non-traditional rugby league city, and do not have the funds of other teams.

“It’s a massive boost for a team like Sheffield where we operate on smaller budgets than many teams in the Championship,” Swire added.

“Nobody has got rich financially playing for the Eagles but they are enriched in many other ways and that loyalty and the team ethos that the coaching staff instill in them makes a big difference.”