SWINDON Storm head coach Steve Bennett can’t wait for the American football season to touch down as he prepares his team for their first game this weekend.

Storm kick off their campaign at home to Cornish Sharks tomorrow at their new home, Supermarine Rugby Club, at 2.30pm.

Bennett believes his side have had a good close season, recruiting many new faces with the building interest in the sport, and says his team are as prepared as they can be for the visit of the Sharks.

“In American football a lot of effort is put into scouting your opposition, so we get extensive video and reports on our opposition,” he said.

“We spend a couple of weeks evaluating them and then run scout periods and get our offence and defence mimicking the other team.

“It is always difficult first game of the season because you don’t know what your opposition are going to come out with.

“Cornwall haven’t played any pre-season games so we have not been able to evaluate them.

“We are aware they have a new defensive co-ordinator and we know what he did on previous occasions so we will use that.

“That is how I like to work as a coach. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail so I have put in a lot of effort into giving the players all the tools they need to go in and win the game.”

Storm may only be heading into their third competitive season as a team but Bennett already has his sights on the end-zone as the re-arrangements of the league has him targeting a play-off finish.

“We’ve gradually increased the number of games we have won over the seasons and I think a potential play-off is open to us,” added Bennett.

“With the league moving to three divisions from two, it means the top teams in our old division have gone into the new division one.

“There is not a team in our league now that we have not beaten, so unless the other teams have had a dramatic step forward, I would like to see us go all the way to the post season.”

The close season has also seen Storm develop the club at all levels and Bennett will be looking to integrate as many new players into the side as possible throughout the campaign.

“The junior and youth sides have really taken off this season,” he said.

“We have an under 21s league with a development team playing in Bristol, which has really helped our youngest of players get some game time.

“We are really hoping they will make a big impact as a result as they are integrated into the squad over the summer.

“From the crop of rookies for 2015, we have had a good number commit to the club and they will be heading up our special teams programme.

“It is a good way of integrating them into the squad so they can gradually learn the playbook by what is going on around them.

“We’re really excited to get them out onto the field, and we have got a couple of young playmakers who might be able to make a few things happen on kick return.”