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Skipper Jamie Prisk says his Cornwall RLFC side are determined to ‘put on a real show’ for the club’s supporters when West Wales Raiders visit the Duchy on Sunday – 3.00pm.

The Llanelli based outfit currently sit below the Choughs in the Betfred League 1 standings and both teams will be eyeing this fixture as the perfect opportunity to open their account in 2022.

Cornwall go into the round eight clash on the back of a 52-16 loss at Hunslet, one of rugby league’s most famous and traditional clubs. Prisk and his fellow men in black and gold more than matched the Parksiders in the opening 40 minutes and only trailed 22-12 at half-time.

The hosts found another gear in the second stanza and claimed the two league points on offer although for Prisk personally, there was cause for celebration as he bagged his first ever try in a Cornwall shirt.

“It was a great feeling for me personally to cross the whitewash for the first time wearing the black and gold of Cornwall,” he said. “Deep down, though, I’m disappointed with the result and I know the rest of the players are too.

“We were really in the game at half-time and we had a decent conversation at the break about how we could keep our momentum going. Obviously we let ourselves down a bit in the second 40 but if anything, that makes us doubly determined to train hard this week and put on a real show for our supporters against West Wales Raiders on Sunday.”

Cornwall had real spells of dominance against the Parksiders and Prisk feels that if his side can sustain this for a full 80 minutes, then a history-making win won’t be too far away.

“We would have liked not to have conceded either side of half-time but even after doing so, we were still in the game,” he added. “That took a little bit of the wind out of our sails and helped Hunslet and then we struggled to get back into the game.

“We demonstrated that we can compete in this division and at this level against some very experienced rugby league players. But we need to do it for a full 80 minutes opposed to a spell here and a spell there. If we could have kept our levels from the first 35 minutes up against Hunslet for the whole game then who knows what would have happened.

“If we can keep in the fight both defensively and in attack for a whole match then we know that a first win will come. As a proud Cornishman, that would be the perfect scenario if it happened at home in front of our own fans at Penryn.”

Prisk, who has played rugby union for both Redruth and St Ives, also called on the Cornwall supporters to once again come out and back the side this coming Sunday and admitted that the brilliant home crowds seen at the Memorial Ground this season so far have been inspirational. 

“We know there are no easy games in this league,” the 29-year-old remarked. “Both us and West Wales will probably be looking at the league table thinking we have a good chance of winning on Sunday. We have to be focused this week and I know Neil (Kelly, head coach) and all our coaching staff will be prepping the boys like we would for any other game, regardless of where the opposition are in the league table.

“The aim will be an 80 minute performance and the support of the Cornish people is something we can’t underestimate.

“The support gets us going and it really makes a difference. Each and every voice inspires us to succeed and we know that we will receive tremendous backing at the Memorial Ground when we go up against West Wales. The weather looks like it will be great and the vibe we are trying to create is unique and something that is brilliant for rugby league and rugby league in Cornwall.”