COLERAINE have been the surprise package of the North-West season to date, with the Bannsiders sitting proudly at the summit of the Premiership and in the semi-final of the Senior Cup.

It’s quite a transformation from last year when they were involved in a relegation dogfight, and much of the credit must go to their new captain, all-rounder Rory Knox.

The 35-year-old took on the reins willingly, not having to be press-ganged, which is often the case with a high pressure role.

“Captaining Coleraine in principle means a lot to me, as it’s the only club I’ve played for in Ireland,” said Knox.

“I was really excited to return to the club from England in 2020, and what’s been clear in those four years is that there’s never really a good time to become captain when you’ve got a busy life. A huge reason why I was able to accept the role was the support of my wife, Teresa. Having also chatted pre-season to the committee and the players, I was very reassured by the support I was going to get and that’s been the case.”

It's been an excellent start to the campaign, but Knox realises it’s just the beginning.

“We’ll see come September time just how much we’ve moved forward. I suppose I’m a bit more experienced than some of my predecessors so that’s helped.

“We met as a whole unit pre-season and the consensus was that we were sick of losing and wanted to show just how much quality there is in the Coleraine ranks. We’ve had some good results including an Irish Cup win over Muckamore, and with a bit more availability we might have got closer too against North County.”

Coleraine’s senior trophy cabinet hasn’t exactly been overflowing in their 67-year history, but they are well placed to add to their modest haul, and while Knox would love to do the double, he would cherish the chance to collect a second Senior Cup to follow their solitary triumph way back in 1986.

“With the local region, the Senior Cup has a huge pride of place. The two-day showpiece final brings in a massive crowd, with a festival atmosphere, so it’s hard to look beyond that. For me as a captain thinking about the body of work that goes into a 14-match season, and the quality and consistency required to win the Premiership, that would be a phenomenal achievement. However, that elation wouldn’t be the same as lifting the cup in front of a massive crowd – not a bad second place though!”

The Cricket Ireland employee was quick to pay tribute to the influence that former international Davy Cooke has made on his return to Sandel Lodge, as well as Louren Steenkamp and Paddy Carson.

“Davy has made a massive impact at the club. He brings a huge amount of silverware experience that we’ve lacked. He’s got a steeliness that we’re enjoying having in the ranks.

“Louren Steenkamp has been tremendous for us as our professional. He’s started really well, is an excellent coach, and a great guy to have around the club. Paddy Carson has been like a new player for us, and he’s forged an excellent opening partnership with Craig Averill. It’s always good having that left/right-handed balance and it’s served us well.

“We’ve got similar numbers in the squad as previous years, but we’re probably managing and planning availability a bit better.”

“We are all aware that the next two weeks are going to have a huge bearing on the trajectory of our season. We’re just going to stick to our guns. We’ve got a really solid game plan that’s served us well. We haven’t a great historical record against these opponents, so we’re viewing it as an opportunity to rectify that.”