"It rarely happens that the league schedule requires a three-week Christmas break, leaving that half-term holiday feeling as every one takes a well-earned rest to recharge the batteries for the second half of the campaign.

With two vacant Saturdays and only a skeleton training programme, there is time to reflect on the season to date, with the unusual detachment of emotion recollected in tranquillity.

We reach the holiday period with a record of five National League victories from 12 starts, and three cup wins out of four.

The combined statistics of eight wins from 16 games neatly suggest satisfactory progress, but probably understate the quality of some of the performances to date.

As always, there have been outstanding highlights.

The first half display that created a 22-0 interval lead against promotion favourites Bradford and Bingley was one of the most compelling spells of rugby seen at Mint Bridge, though the first half of both the Cleckheaton and Waterloo games would run it close.

Sadly, in none of these games could the second-half achievement match the first period, but two produced important victories in high-quality games.

The Powergen Cup has, over the years, been a frequent vehicle for the club's over-achievements - and this year was to be no exception.

Away at historic Richmond, unbeaten in 78 league games, was a wonderfully efficient all-round performance, with a number of young players taking their share of the glory.

This October sequence, with four memorable wins in five weeks, was important in defining the team's style.

Simon Mulholland endeared himself to the home crowd with his audacious side step and heart-stopping counter-attacking.

Martin Armstrong complemented him with his own brand of silky running, and newcomer Jon Ladell has shown rare finishing power to become the league's leading try scorer.

There is a confidence throughout the team in its attacking capacity, combined with oscillating frustration that the sources of primary possession are not as dependable as they once were.

There were encouraging signs in the first half of the latest game against Dudley, as the line out regained its old security and became the foundation of the magnificent symmetry of the driving maul.

Perhaps the return of Mike Capstick and Billy Coxon was a coincidence, but perhaps not.

In the unfashionable, parochial recesses of the National League, we play on an increasingly uneven playing field, cast in the role of have-nots in an economic environment susceptible to hyper-inflation.

We depend for our survival on the passionate commitment of all those who love the game and the club.

Ignoring shortcomings and making the best of imperfect circumstances have been developed into an art form.

Any reflection on the club's achievements would be wrong to ignore the colossal contribution of the army of volunteer labour, whose appetite for unglamorous tasks is combined with the dry humour with which they are discharged.

Painting the flag pole, recovering the balls from the road, marking the pitch and filling the bath all occur, as if by magic, by willing backroom workers with a long-standing commitment to the club.

These achievements, combined with the dedication of the coaches and managers of youth and senior teams, are every bit as heroic as away wins in the cup.

All in all, the half-term report has a familiar tone: "sound progress, but could do better".