There is light at the end of the tunnel says Cornwall RLFC boss despite defeat

Cornwall RLFC head coach Neil Kelly believes there is light at the end of the tunnel despite their 50-0 defeat to Rochdale.

Gregg McNally scored a hat-trick for Hornets in front of a crowd of more than 900 in Cornwall. It was the first time the League 1 newcomers were unable to register a score.

Rochdale forward Fuifui Moimoi made his 350th career appearance from the bench. Cornwall RLFC named Leeds quartet Oli Field, MacKenzie Turner, Joe Hird and Joe Gibbon in their team on Sunday. 

However despite the defeat, Kelly remains positive for the future of the club.

“It is a massive learning curve,” he said.

“I was speaking to their head coach [Matt Calland], who has been in a similar situation, and was empathising with us. There is light at the end of the tunnel. This was only our fifth game. There is a long way to go yet.

“It would be really nice one day to turn up and everything be right but we don’t live in that world, unfortunately. We have got to work on all elements of the game, not least becoming streetwise. We are playing teams that know all the tricks and the ploys. That is going to be our biggest step forward, when we learn those ways or bring somebody in who has that in their armoury.”

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He continued: “They are a great bunch of lads. It is becoming difficult for me now because I am going into the changing rooms and talking about things that we have done (badly on the pitch). You develop an attachment to these players.

“You want them to do well but you feel as though you are kicking them while they are down. It is a bit hard but I have got to be honest with them. They are accepting both criticisms and praise in the right spirit at the moment. We have got