North Wales Crusaders on the verge of 'special' history-making promotion
- Published
Crusaders have had to play home games in Chester, Rhyl and Llanrwst this season
It is almost a decade since Wales had a side in the top two tiers of rugby league in England and Wales.
Now the North Wales Crusaders stand on the verge of promotion, with a play-off final against Doncaster on Sunday.
Crusaders last played in the Championship in 2014 and hope to complete "something special" after losing their first games.
"When you're zero-and-seven the only way is up," joked player-coach Carl Forster.
"I always had faith in the group and I have confidence in my own ability as a player and coach.
"We always knew we could turn it around, but did I ever think we'd get to a final? Probably not, but I knew we'd be there or thereabouts."
Any head coach is likely to come under pressure after not managing a single win in their first seven matches, just ask Michael Duff at Swansea City.
Forster in League 1 was no different, with some asking whether he should continue to be involved on the pitch.
"When we were going through a sticky patch, people were questioning whether he should still be playing," said club chairman Ian Edwards.
"Just having him on the pitch is a calming influence on everyone around, so I'm really pleased for him.
"He's a quietly spoken bloke off the field, a really nice guy, so I'm chuffed that it's gone the way it has."
Crusaders turned their season around, winning seven of their next 11 league games but have saved their best for the play-offs with three wins over teams placed higher in the table.
Victories over Workington Town (26-10) and Oldham (13-12) were followed by a shock 25-18 win at second-placed Hunslet to set up a promotion showdown against Doncaster at their Eco-Power Stadium.
Third-placed Doncaster finished the regular season 14 points ahead of Crusaders, but that will count for little on Sunday.
Forster attributes the turnaround to a frank discussion after another loss.
"We were beaten by Cornwall and people thought it was our season done," said Forster, who is originally from St Helens.
"It shook the whole changing room. I had to question myself and the players and things got said in the dressing room that day which can't be repeated.
"But we flipped it on its head; seven days later we beat Doncaster who were second in the league and we haven't looked back."
Nomadic Crusaders
The North Wales Crusaders were formed from the ashes of the former Celtic Crusaders who had a brief three-year spell in the Super League before reforming under their new name in 2012.
But the modern-day Crusaders had a difficult start to their season with their home ground at Colwyn Bay's Parc Eirias unavailable due to a new 4G pitch being laid. It meant playing 'home' games at Rhyl, Llanrwst and Chester.
"Crusaders have always had a great record at home so it was far from ideal, getting to training on Thursday nights, not knowing where we were playing on a Sunday," said Forster.
"Huge credit to everyone at the club for getting us through the season which looked a real struggle at some points. It's felt like a very long and hard season, but these last six weeks have made it enjoyable."
Crusaders have been boosted by a healthier squad with players returning from early season injuries for the play-offs.
"This might sound backwards, but the injuries we had have probably helped us now, because we have lads going into games fresh without the end-of-season fatigue," said Forster.
"We knew if and when those guys came back, results would improve, and they did. We've shown in the last six weeks just how good we can be."
Doncaster (from): Watson Boas, Gregory Burns, Luke Cooper, Bureta Faraimo, Brett Ferres, Mahe Fonua, Keelan Foster, Josh Guzdek, Thomas Halliday, Bradley Hey, Alex Holdstock, Matthew James, Benjamin Johnston, Jose Kenga, Bradley Knowles, Loui McConnell, Connor Robinson, Sam Smeaton, Jason Tali, Albert Vete, Ross Whitmore.
North Wales Crusaders (from): Owain Abel, Jordan Andrade, Chris Barratt, Jake Burns, Brad Billsborough, Shaun Costello, Ryan Ellis, Matt Fletcher, Carl Forster, Dave Gibbons, Leon Hayes, Toby Hughes, Jack Houghton, Callum Hazzard, Jack Holmes, Josh Lynch, Paul Nash, Cole Oakley, Pat Rainford, Matt Reid, Kieran Taylor.