Tonight's Meeting

By Elliott Josypenko
January 19 2005

Phil Maynard is not expecting a revolution at Sharmans Cross Road tomorrow night and there is no danger of Pertemps Bees joining the professional ranks before Orrell arrive on Saturday.

Whatever happens at the special meeting of members it will not be instant and in truth the director of rugby is looking for no more than a broad agreement on a road map with full-time status as the eventual destination when the members meet - unless of course someone turns up with the odd million stuffed in a carrier bag.

Maynard said: "It is looking positive. There is a lot of goodwill in the club and a lot of people have seen us going in the right direction and hopefully that will carry the day."

If there is no consensus to look towards full-time rugby then Bees will have to content themselves with being the best of the rest, the part-time sides remaining in National One. That task will become more and more difficult, though, as more sides grapple with grasping professional rugby.

In National Two Doncaster are favourites to come up and they are virtually full-time as are clubs who could be joining them. All of which will push the part-timers further and further down the pecking order.

Maynard said: "It is a discussion and members have a right to be involved in the decision making process.

"We want to involve them. There are a lot of people with good business experience amongst them and hopefully when we all sit down we can see a way forward."

The meeting does not seem to have affected the players, who made it two home wins on the trot, albeit by just a point, against London Welsh.

Maynard said: "It was one for the purists. People like to see the ball flying around and see tries scored but this is January and there is not much attractive rugby being played at the moment.

"We have had two wins since Christmas and a series win over Penzance and we have Orrell on Saturday which is another match we should win.

"If we had two more wins we would have been fourth."

Good news for Bees is that lock Alex Davidson, out since being injured last season against Newcastle in the Powergen Cup semi, should be back shortly.