Lewis Hatton looks ahead to Keighley reunion

Rochdale Hornets forward Lewis Hatton admits it will be a special feeling coming up against former club Keighley Cougars in Round 3 of the Betfred Championship this weekend.

Hatton spent two years with the Cougars, prior to joining Rochdale for the 2026 season.

Whilst admitting it will be nice to see some familiar faces from West Yorkshire, Hatton insists he will be ready and raring to get one over on his former club this Sunday.

"It’ll be a special one," he said. "Keighley is a club I know very well, and I’ve got a lot of respect for the people there.

"I enjoyed most of my time there and there are some great memories, so I am looking forward to Sunday. But once the whistle goes, that sentiment goes out of the window."

The Hornets are one of five sides in the Championship to have won both of their opening two league fixtures, getting the better of Swinton Lions in Round 1 and Workington Town a week later.

Last weekend saw the club fall to an 83-0 defeat against Wigan Warriors, in front of a crowd of 4,248: the Hornets' highest at home since 1998.

As preparations continue for a return to league action, Hatton says last weekend's defeat to the World Club Champions will not derail what has been a fine start in the league.

"It’s been really positive," the front-rower insisted.

"We have had a solid pre-season and a strong start to the league. We know there are areas that we need to improve, but the attitude in training has been brilliant.

"The lads will agree that we still have a lot of areas to improve on, and Sunday will be another tough test.

"Keighley are a strong side and will be confident off the back of a good win last week, so our focus will be on making sure our standards don’t drop."