Telford Tigers owner Wayne Scholes is prepared for a ‘critical’ summer of rebuilding at the club, as his coaching staff targets a return to the top of the EPL.

Tigers finished fourth last season, before crashing out of the play-offs at the quarter-final stage, prompting Scholes to hold a string of meetings with Head Coach Tom Watkins and General Manager Paul Thomason.

He said: “The thing about Tom and Paul is that they don’t stop, even though it’s at the end of the season.

“I’ve heard more from them in the last week than in the previous two months. They are a lot busier.

“Of course, the season itself is very regimented, but now it’s down to the strategic part and they are doing that very well.

“It’s all about the thought and setting it up for success in the season.

“To them, this is the time that counts, and it’s an absolutely critical part of the year. I admire the way these guys work hard, and they’re putting in serious hours into getting the right balance and mix.

“They want to make sure things are right next season.”

Injuries to star players Jonathan Weaver and Jason Silverthorn hindered Tigers’ hopes last time around, but Scholes acknowledged improvements in standards across the league also made things more difficult.

He added: “I think you start off where you finished last time and for us, we won convincingly the previous year. The other teams knew that couldn’t happen again and they all made big improvements.

“Everybody made big strides in their squads and it was a great season of ice hockey in the league. The fans at every club won, as they saw some fantastic players every weekend.

“Success is all about context, of course, and I’m fully expecting us to have a successful season, starting in September.”

(Image permission: Steve Brodie)