Hornets start the new season proper on February 12 with a home tie against South Wales Scorpions in the group stages of the Northern Rail Cup.

The remaining three games are against Championship opposition, with next up a tough trip to Halifax the following week.

And it doesn’t get any easier as they host last year’s Championship 1 Grand Final winners Keighley on February 26, then travel to Dewsbury for the final game in their group.

Hornets coach John Stankevitch is far from happy with the draw and feels the Northern Rail Cup competition is badly in need of a revamp.

He said: "I am not happy to be honest. I am not a massive fan of the competition because realistically we have absolutely no chance of winning it, which puts the players under pressure.

"Last year, we lost our first three games and played Doncaster in the last game when there was nothing at stake.

"If the lads had won that game they would have been paid winning money for a game that meant nothing and it’s an added expense for a fixture we don’t really need.

"I think the whole system needs looking at. It’s highlighted even more this year as we are in a group with three teams from the division above and one in our division. I was always under the impression it would be two from each division.

"I am disappointed with the draw but then again the competition as a whole needs looking at.

Hornets’ Championship 1 campaign gets under way when London Skolars are the visitors to Spotland on March 11.

They travel to Whitehaven the following week and are again on the road on April 1 when they face newly-formed North Wales Crusaders – kick-off 2.30pm.

The third match against Oldham at home on Good Friday April 6 is yet to be confirmed, while the return is set for June 24 at Whitebank Stadium.

The final match of the campaign sees them make their third trip of the season to Cumbria to take on Workington.

As in previous years, the Northern Rail Cup group stages will be played in two pools with all clubs playing two home games and two away games against teams in their pool.

The top four teams in each pool will then progress into an open, unseeded draw for the knock-out quarter-final stage The Northern Rail Cup quarter-final and semi-final fixtures will be played on the weekends of June 17 and July 8 respectively with the competition climaxing on Saturday, July 29.

HORNETS' 2012 FIXTURES

Northern Rail Cup fixtures:

Round 1 12/02/2012 3pm unless stated: London Skolars v Toulouse Olympique 1pm, Keighley Cougars v Batley Bulldogs 2pm, Dewsbury Rams v Halifax, Gateshead Thunder v Doncaster, Hunslet Hawks v Whitehaven, Leigh Centurions v Barrow Raiders, Oldham Roughyeds v Featherstone Rovers, Rochdale Hornets v South Wales Scorpions, Workington Town v Sheffield Eagles, York City Knights v Swinton Lions

Round 2 18/02/2012: Toulouse Olympique v Keighley Cougars 7pm. 19/02/2012: Barrow Raiders v Workington Town 2pm, Swinton Lions v Hunslet Hawks 2pm, Batley Bulldogs v London Skolars, Doncaster v York City Knights , Featherstone Rovers v Dewsbury Rams, Halifax v Rochdale Hornets, Sheffield Eagles v Leigh Centurions, South Wales Scorpions v Oldham Roughyeds, Whitehaven v Gateshead Thunder

Round 3 25/02/2012: Batley Bulldogs v Toulouse Olympique 6pm. 26/02/2012: Barrow Raiders v Swinton Lions (2pm), Doncaster v Sheffield Eagles, Halifax v Featherstone Rovers, Leigh Centurions v Hunslet Hawks, Oldham Roughyeds v Dewsbury Rams, Rochdale Hornets v Keighley Cougars, South Wales Scorpions v London Skolars, Workington Town v Whitehaven, York City Knights v Gateshead

Round 4 02/03/2012: Sheffield Eagles v York City Knights 7.30pm. 03/03/2012: Toulouse Olympique v South Wales Scorpions 7pm. 04/03/2012: Keighley Cougars v Oldham Roughyeds 2pm, Swinton Lions v Workington Town 2pm, Dewsbury Rams v Rochdale Hornets, Featherstone Rovers v Batley Bulldogs, Gateshead Thunder v Leigh Centurions, Hunslet Hawks v Doncaster, London Skolars v Halifax, Whitehaven v Barrow Raiders

Co-operative Championship One fixtures

Round 1 11/03/2012: North Wales Crusaders v Barrow Raiders 2.30pm, Doncaster v Whitehaven, Gateshead Thunder v South Wales Scorpions, Rochdale Hornets v London Skolars, Workington Town v Oldham Roughyeds

Round 2 18/03/2012: South Wales Scorpions v Workington Town 1pm, Barrow Raiders v Doncaster, London Skolars v North Wales Crusaders, Oldham Roughyeds v Gateshead Thunder, Whitehaven v Rochdale Hornets

Round 3 01/04/2012: North Wales Crusaders v Rochdale Hornets 2.30pm, Doncaster v South Wales Scorpions, Gateshead Thunder v Whitehaven, Oldham Roughyeds v Barrow Raiders, Workington Town v London Skolars

Round 4 06/04/2012: Barrow Raiders v Gateshead Thunder, Doncaster v London Skolars, Whitehaven v Workington Town, Rochdale Hornets v Oldham Roughyeds TBC, North Wales Crusaders v South Wales Scorpions TBC

Round 5 22/04/2012: Barrow Raiders v Rochdale Hornets, Gateshead Thunder v Doncaster, London Skolars v Oldham Roughyeds, South Wales Scorpions v Whitehaven, Workington Town v North Wales Crusaders

Round 6 06/05/2012: Doncaster v Rochdale Hornets, Oldham Roughyeds v North Wales Crusaders, South Wales Scorpions v Barrow Raiders, Whitehaven v London Skolars, Workington Town v Gateshead Thunder

Round 7 13/05/2012: North Wales Crusaders v Whitehaven 2.30pm, Barrow Raiders v Workington Town, Doncaster v Oldham Roughyeds, London Skolars v South Wales Scorpions, Rochdale Hornets v Gateshead Thunder

Round 8 20/05/2012: Barrow Raiders v London Skolars, Gateshead Thunder v North Wales Crusaders, Oldham Roughyeds v Whitehaven, South Wales Scorpions v Rochdale Hornets, Workington Town v Doncaster

Round 9 27/05/2012: London Skolars v Gateshead Thunder 2pm, North Wales Crusaders v Doncaster 2.30pm, Rochdale Hornets v Workington Town, South Wales Scorpions v Oldham Roughyeds, Whitehaven v Barrow Raiders

Round 10 10/06/2012: London Skolars v Workington Town 2pm, North Wales Crusaders v Oldham Roughyeds 2.30pm, Gateshead Thunder v Barrow Raiders, Rochdale Hornets v Doncaster, Whitehaven v South Wales Scorpions

Round 11 24/06/2012: Barrow Raiders v North Wales Crusaders, Doncaster v Gateshead Thunder, Oldham Roughyeds v Rochdale Hornets, South Wales Scorpions v London Skolars, Workington Town v Whitehaven

Round 12 01/07/2012: London Skolars v Barrow Raiders 2pm, North Wales Crusaders v Workington Town 2.30pm, Gateshead Thunder v Rochdale Hornets, South Wales Scorpions v Doncaster, Whitehaven v Oldham Roughyeds

Round 13 15/07/2012: North Wales Crusaders v Gateshead Thunder 2.30pm, Doncaster v Barrow Raiders, Oldham Roughyeds v London Skolars, Rochdale Hornets v Whitehaven, Workington Town v South Wales Scorpions 1pm

Round 14 22/07/2012: Barrow Raiders v Whitehaven, Doncaster v Workington Town, Gateshead Thunder v London Skolars, Oldham Roughyeds v South Wales Scorpions, Rochdale Hornets v North Wales Crusaders

Round 15 05/08/2012: Barrow Raiders v Oldham Roughyeds, Gateshead Thunder v Workington Town, London Skolars v Rochdale Hornets, South Wales Scorpions v North Wales Crusaders, Whitehaven v Doncaster

Round 16 12/08/2012: North Wales Crusaders v London Skolars 2.30pm, Oldham Roughyeds v Doncaster, Rochdale Hornets v South Wales Scorpions, Whitehaven v Gateshead Thunder, Workington Town v Barrow Raiders

Round 17 19/08/2012: Doncaster v North Wales Crusaders, Oldham Roughyeds v Workington Town, Rochdale Hornets v Barrow Raiders, South Wales Scorpions v Gateshead Thunder, London Skolars v Whitehaven (6.30pm)

Round 18 02/09/2012: Barrow Raiders v South Wales Scorpions, Gateshead Thunder v Oldham Roughyeds, London Skolars v Doncaster, Whitehaven v North Wales Crusaders, Workington Town v Rochdale Hornets

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