BBL Trophy final: Smith wary of Newcastle's S-Factor

Newcastle Eagles will bid to lift the BBL Trophy for the third consecutive time when they meet Cheshire on Sunday in the final at the Guildford Spectrum.

The two clubs have dominated the competition during the last decade, winning seven of the last nine editions. However Cheshire coach Paul Smith is wary that the recent return of Great Britain captain Andrew Sullivan to the Tyneside giants could tip the balance.

“There’s probably been 2-3 seasons where we’ve been nowhere near them but this year, I’ve felt we’re getting closer,” said Smith.

“The biggest difference in the last month is that they’ve added Sullivan and we need to find a way to deal with him. But I still see where they have weaknesses we can exploit.”

Newcastle, on a 15-game winning streak following Friday's win over Worthing, have been told not to rest on their laurels despite their run.

"That means nothing," Chapman added. "The reason we're winning is because we play hard every night and Sunday can't be any different."

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