Hurter praised by Andrew

But yesterday, coach Andrew put the spotlight firmly on the South African prop as he helped his side to a win over Leeds Tykes in the Zurich Premiership, in what was his last game for the club after more than six years of distinguished service.

Hurter was presented with a gift of thanks from the Supporters' Club on the field after the final whistle.

"It's a big blow to lose him, but everyone has to move on in life, and it's Marius's turn to do that," said Andrew.

"We can't praise him highly enough for his contribution and professionalism during his stay, as well as his sense of humour, and the well-deserved ovation he got from the supporters this afternoon was very emotional for him."

With a record crowd of 14,293 coming through the Headingley turnstiles, Andrew is also hoping for a bumper crowd at Kingston Park for Sunday's game against Sale Sharks, with early signs indicating that the remaining standing tickets will all be sold.

"We seem to be filling everyone else's grounds wherever we go around the country, so hopefully we can get a capacity crowd at home this weekend.

"The Newcastle fans this year have been brilliant with us, travelling in bigger numbers, and the Kingston Park crowds have been going up a lot too. There aren't many tickets left for the Sale match, and hopefully we can use that support to put in a big performance in front of our own supporters."