Stone Priestley-Nangle, one of Sale FC’s standout players, spoke candidly after Saturday’s narrow 23-17 loss to Rotherham Titans. Despite the result, there were plenty of positives to take away, including an impressive two-try performance from winger Mark Dixon and signs of progress within the squad.
“Mark was electric on Saturday,” Stone said when asked about Dixon’s contribution. “His pace and ability to find space is second to none, and the two tries he scored were absolutely top-class. He’s been in incredible form, and you can see his confidence growing with every game. When you have a player like Mark on your side, it gives the team a real spark.”
Mark is 2nd top try scorer for the squad in National League 1, 2 short of hooker Josh Brown.
The defeat to Rotherham leaves Sale FC in a position in the league that Priestley-Nangle admitted wasn’t where the team had hoped to be at this stage of the season. “We’re not quite where we want to be in the table right now,” he said. “It’s been a challenging start, and as a group, we know we need to be more consistent. But there’s no shortage of belief in the squad. The way we’re playing and improving week on week gives us a lot of confidence that the results will come.”
Despite the team’s position and the result on Saturday, Priestley-Nangle earned Man of the Match honors for his work however put emphasis on the collective effort of the squad. “It’s always nice to get recognition, but at the end of the day, it’s about the team,” he said. “We’ve been working really hard in training, and you could see that out on the pitch. I think everyone played their part on Saturday. We didn’t get the win, but we took some big steps forward in terms of our performance.”
Stone also took a moment to express his gratitude to the Sale FC supporters, who have been ever present in strong numbers at Heywood Road. “The support here is incredible,” he said. “Even on tough days like Saturday, they’re always behind us, cheering us on. That kind of support means a lot to the lads, especially in close games. We really appreciate everyone who comes out and backs us.”
The 1st team will feature at Heywood Road again on saturday 25th Jan against Richmond; who sit top of English Rugby’s third tier.