Preston Grasshoppers travel to Brantingham Park on Saturday 7 November for a 2pm kick-off against Hull Ionians, with both sides looking to bounce back from defeat. With Ionians fifth and Hoppers sixth in National League 2 North, the fixture offers an opportunity to gain ground on a close rival.

Dan Orwin’s side can take plenty of encouragement from last weekend’s performance against unbeaten leaders Sedgley Park. Hoppers led 17–14 at half-time and stretched that advantage to 27–14 before the visitors fought back to claim a 35–27 victory. Tries from Sam Freeman, Dec Norrington and Jacob Browne demonstrated Hoppers’ attacking threat, although turning promising positions into a complete 80-minute performance will be the aim this Saturday.

That setback followed a 47–38 victory at Otley and a convincing 50–15 home win over Billingham. Hoppers have shown they can score freely, and will hope to combine that attacking confidence with the control needed to secure another away success.

Ionians present a significant challenge despite their own recent disappointments. They opened the campaign with five consecutive victories, including a 57–29 home win over Fylde, before losing 69–45 at Chester. Last Saturday brought another narrow defeat, 41–36 at Billingham, where they still scored six tries, including a penalty try. Their recent results suggest there should be opportunities for both attacks, making defensive discipline particularly important.

Previous meetings offer plenty of reminders of what this fixture can produce. In April 2025, the teams shared 16 tries at Brantingham Park, with Ionians edging an extraordinary encounter 53–52 thanks to a late Lewis Minikin penalty. Josh Ree and Sam Freeman each scored twice for Hoppers that afternoon, while Rory Brand also crossed the line. All three are included in Saturday’s squad.

The most recent visit was tougher, with Ionians winning 41–7 in December 2025. Hoppers responded in the return fixture at Lightfoot Green in April, scoring seven tries in a comprehensive victory. Freeman claimed a double, while Hugo Castle, Tom Ailes, Zephyr Maher and Ben Haigh were also among the scorers—familiar names who will hope to make their mark again this weekend.

Freeman is an obvious player to watch from full-back after his try and kicking contribution against Sedgley Park. Out wide, Maher’s hat-trick against Billingham remains a reminder of his finishing ability, while Browne arrives having scored against the league leaders. With Matt Sturgess and Josh Ree at half-back, Hoppers will look to give those attacking threats opportunities to influence the game.

For Ionians, Jack Howells and Maliq Holden both crossed at Billingham, while Will Metcalfe scored twice. Ben Smith’s contribution at fly-half is another factor to watch: his distribution and kicking could be important in deciding where the game is played.

Hugo Castle captains the confirmed Hoppers side, with Josh Ryan starting at loose-head and Scott Richardson joining Norrington and Ailes in the back row. Eight members of the matchday squad carry the club’s mini-junior shield, underlining the contribution of Hoppers’ development pathway.

There is plenty to build on after last weekend. The challenge now is to turn that promise into points on the road.

Hull Ionians v Preston Grasshoppers — Saturday 7 November, Brantingham Park. Kick-off: 2pm.