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by ROGER HALSTEAD
 
ROUGHYEDS delivered an upbeat message to fans today following an Easter double-header that produced two victories with which to open up their Co-operative National League Two campaign.
 
Not only did they win 46-32 at Rochdale and 40-12 against Hunslet at Boundary Park yesterday, but they scored 15 tries in the process and they emerged from the hectic two games in four days relatively unscathed and with no injuries beyond the customary sore bodies.
 
Moreover, the attendance of 1,168 on a bitterly cold day was the second biggest of the day in NL2 and better than any paying game the home league programme produced for the Roughyeds last season.
 
Club officials hope they can build on that now in the next two games, both of which take place at Boundary Park.
 
York City Knights are here this coming Sunday (3pm) and then the following Sunday, April 6, NL1 club Whitehaven are at Boundary Park in the last 16 of the Northern Rail Cup, which is now sudden-death knock-out.
 
Said chief executive Chris Hamilton: "We've had two wins over Easter, and no injuries. That's what we wanted from the weekend, and that's what we got so naturally we have to be pleased with that. I think the one thing the weekend has underlined -- and it was something we knew already -- is that there will be no easy games in this very competitive division.
 
"Hunslet, on their own admission, are going to find life tough this season, but they worked hard, they were enthusiastic and they made things difficult for us, particularly in the first 20 minutes. Perhaps they never seriously threatened our line, but we knew we were in a game. There are no easy games, full stop.
 
"The attendance was the second best in the division, and we would like to think the fans will want to come back when York and Whitehaven are here on the next two Sundays."
 
Roughyeds have picked up the maximum six league points from their two games and, in each case, have denied their opponents a bonus point.
 
For the York game on Sunday, all the signs are that Steve Deakin will have the same 20 players available as he had for the last three games against Swinton, Rochdale and Hunslet, namely the 17 on duty yesterday plus Mick Nanyn, Danny Halliwell and Richard Mervill.