Sam Hollingsworth determined to help lead Rotherham Titans to safety

Sam Hollingsworth kicks for goal against Plymouth Albion last week.

ROTHERHAM Titans' Sam Hollingsworth wants to stick his hand up and become a leader in a team which has been short of them as the season approaches crunch time.

The lack of experience and leadership in the ranks contributed to the team's struggles this term in National One.

And for Hollingsworth, who at fly-half has a responsibility to orchestrate the team's back line, setting an example is important.

After being dropped from the team, the former Birmingham Moseley man made a decent return in last week's high-scoring defeat to Plymouth.

"It was nice to be back in team," he said. "I had some "work-ons" and was taken out of the squad. I went away and worked on them. I'm wanting to get more involved and be more of a general in the team so I did my best to do that.

"As our coach Matt Smith said, I am a general. I have not got an armchair ride but I have to command people about. I'm one of the leaders that needs to be on the field and be there for 80 minutes."

Rotherham's Jamie Cooke tries to shake off a Plymouth tackler.

Hollingsworth has yet to lose a game against tomorrow's opponents, Cambridge.

It's a record he wants to keep come 4pm tomorrow, especially after riding the peaks and troughs of last week's defeat.

"We got two league points but it should have been four or five," he said.

"We dominated for 60 minutes — the first 40 and the last 20. It's the story of the season at the minute, we lose the first 20 minutes after half time. We conceded 28 unanswered points and if you do that in any game you are not going to come back and win.

"The positives were the two points and I think we're in a lot better place than we were a few weeks ago. We'll take them with confidence going into this weekend."

Added Sam: "We said before the Plymouth game, our season starts today. We wanted to hit the ground running and you saw that on the field in the first half We had a lapse. So do most teams but we had a bigger lapse than normal.

"With 13 games left, if we keep building on it and getting better and better and the lapses turn to five minutes, I think you will see us put teams to bed very early on."

Kick-off at Grantchester Road tomorrow is at 2pm.

Much more on the Titans in today's Advertiser.