Aiden Roden previews Cornwall trip

Rochdale Hornets hooker Aiden Roden says excitement in the group is high ahead of Sunday's 708-mile round trip to Cornwall.

Having been without a game since May 26 due to a bye week then the finals of the men's and women's Betfred Challenge Cup and the 1895 Cup at Wembley last weekend, the Hornets will mark their return to action with a trip to Penryn.

The Hornets ran out 56-24 winners over Cornwall at the start of last month, on a day where the club marked their Superhero Day celebrations with a 10-try victory. 

To aid matchday preparations, Gary Thornton's squad will travel south on Saturday afternoon, ahead of their game the following day.

Ahead of the latest fixture, Roden said: "Me and the boys are buzzing to get back to playing after a couple of weeks out.

"We’re going to be more than ready to get the job done against Cornwall, and we are expecting a tough challenge from them. They have an ever-improving side and we know they will always give their all and not go away, so we know we have to be on our A game. 

"These are probably the most important games for us to do well in, as it’s easy to underestimate the teams that are fighting at the bottom end of the table. That's why we can't afford to let our focus drop."

On a personal level, Roden is delighted to be back in the thick of Betfred League 1 action after an injury-disrupted start to the season. 

The 24-year-old picked up a serious foot injury against Midlands Hurricanes in the Betfred Challenge Cup back in mid-February, and would not make his return until the game against North Wales Crusaders more than two months later.

He has since started the last four matches - scoring in the Hornets' 24-18 victory at Newcastle Thunder last time out - and hopes to continue his return to form and fitness heading into the second half of the season. 

"I've been happy to get a good run of games after my injury," he admitted. 

"It was a long time that I was out for, but it's been great to get back amongst the lads and doing what I love.

"Personally and as a collective, I'm confident that there's room for improvement from now until the end of the season."