BLACKBURN Hawks got their league campaign off to the best possible start with comfortable wins over Bradford Bulldogs and Grimsby Buffaloes.

Starting away at Bradford, the Hawks emerged convincing winners at 13-2, and then 24 hours later, back at the Blackburn Arena, they swept the Buffaloes aside in a memorable 20-3 win.

The Hawks began slowly, apparently building scoring momentum as the weekend wore on.

Just one goal was notched in the opening period at Bradford, with the Hawks wily player-coach Bobby Haig troubling the scorers in the fifth minute.

Bradford hit an equaliser seconds after the break, but a brace from Michael Brunton restored the Hawks advantage.

Bradford rallied briefly through Ari Nurmi but the Hawks stepped on the gas and ran away with the game.

The second period ended a 7-2 to the visitors and they stormed the final session 6-0 to record a comprehensive victory.

Grimsby, the ENHL North's perennial whipping boys were mercilessly dealt with as the Hawks raced into a 13-0 lead by the end of the second period of the first match of the season at the Arena.

Michael Brunton took his weekend tally to six as he struck another four at the Buffaloes expense. Eddie Cooper blasted a hat-trick and Scott Barnett, Bobby Haig and Wayne Slater also added two apiece.

In a one-way match the Hawks rained 54 shots on the Grimsby goal with just 11 in reply.

There will be much tougher challenges along the way, but Haig and his 'new-look' Hawks - they have a new white strip and several young players have forced their way into the reckoning - have sent a clear warning to their rivals.

Bradford: 2 (Nurmi 2), Hawks 13 (Haig 2, Brunton 2, Scott Banett 2, Black 2, Wes Barnett, Andy Sheffield, Tapp, Leaver, Fuller).

Hawks 20 (Brunton 4, Scott Barnett 2, Bobby Haig 2, Cooper 2, Slater 2, Haworth, Fuller, David Sheffield, Black, Hulme, Tapp, Meikle. Grimsby 3 (Jason Haig, Musson, Robinson).