Duane Straugheir eyeing big performance on Superhero Day

Rochdale Hornets captain Duane Straugheir insists confidence is high within the squad as they look to build upon last week's positive showing against Keighley Cougars.

The Hornets recovered from a slow start last weekend to acquit themselves well against the Cougars, pushing them all the way before eventually succumbing to a 42-30 defeat at the Crown Oil Arena. 

That result saw the Cougars earn their sixth successive victory of the season and move two points clear at the top of the Betfred League 1 table - but having conceded a combined total of 54 points in their previous five league games, the Hornets tallied more than half of that total in 80 minutes alone. 

Reflecting on Sunday's performance, Straugheir believes the squad can take lots of positives into their forthcoming May fixtures. 

“The final score didn’t reflect how tight of a game it actually was," he said. 

"It was touch and go in that game, where certain things could have happened which would have swung the game in our favour and we could have gone on to win.

“We know that Keighley will be up at the top of the league, along with Oldham. They’re flying at the minute and they’re putting big scores on a lot of teams, so for us to put a performance in and go toe-to-toe with them was massive for us and there was a lot to take away from it.

“There’s plenty of competition for places now too, and I think that’s really healthy.

“At the start of the season, we were down to barebones, but now everybody is fighting for a place and players are missing out that probably deserve to be playing because they’ve trained well.

“What that means, when you are playing, is that you know you need to perform well because there’s always somebody waiting to take your shirt and do a job for the team.”

The Hornets don't have to wait long for the opportunity to return to winning ways, with Cornwall making the trip north on Sunday afternoon. 

That fixture will also see the Hornets celebrate their first-ever Superhero Day - the club embracing the superhero world in and around the stadium leading up to the match, with plenty of initiatives for the whole family.

As part of this weekend's celebrations, and in a bid to promote greater engagement with the local community, ticket prices have been reduced to £10 for adults, with U16s able to attend the fixture free of charge. 

In addition, the club have also offered a £10 ticket incentive for Rochdale AFC season ticket holders, after the club's 2023/24 campaign came to an end last month.

Straugheir is expected to lead the side out against Cornwall this weekend, on what promises to be a special day for the club, and he hopes the town of Rochdale come together to embrace the celebrations.

“I’m so proud to be captain of this club," he added.

“It’s been a really nice feeling for me to see the lengths the club have gone to get fans into this weekend’s game - the flyers all around town that have got my face on, the cars that have been branded up, it’s amazing.

“We appreciate loads of people being there, and I think that the events that have already been done so far have been amazing.

“Superhero Day is going to be a really good spectacle. I’m really looking forward to it, and I hope that we can get a massive crowd and it’ll be a good day all around.”

Join us on Sunday 5 May as we celebrate our Superhero Day against Cornwall - adult tickets cost £10, and kids go FREE!