Oldham need to give it everything

TIME TO ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES . . . Michael Ward says Oldham must compete for the full 80 minutes

WITH five games left to get the points needed to save their Championship skins, Oldham need to give it everything for the full 80 minutes at Batley on Sunday to hand themselves a major boost in the fight against the drop.

A second-half resurgence against the already relegated Bradford Bulls at Bower Fold last week wasn't quite enough for Scott Naylor's men.

Oldham went down 20-16 in the end, having been 20-6 adrift at half-time.

The blow was softened somewhat by the news that drop rivals Rochdale and Swinton were also defeated by Batley and Sheffield respectively.

Tomorrow, Hornets are in Toulouse; on Sunday, Swinton host Bradford.

Few clubs will have had to cope with the sort of extensive injury list that has beset Naylor and his charges this term.

But prop forward Michael Ward insists that the players who are fighting fit will get out of trouble, as long as they start avoiding familiar pitfalls during games.

"You can't give any team in this league a 20-point start," said Ward, reflecting on the Bulls loss.

"In the second half all the lads had a really good dig, especially defensively, and if we can take that forward into the next few games I think we'll do enough to get out.

"Through the season we've done it for 60 to 70 minutes of big games, but then fallen into big holes and conceded back-to-back tries.

"When you're chasing games it becomes much more difficult to get to the end of sets and compete in the game - you just need to get back into the arm wrestle.

"We know that we've got everything to play for now and it's on us to get ourselves out of relegation. We need that desire.

"Batley is a tough place to go to, but we're a confident bunch.

"We believe we can get out (of relegation). It's just about putting in performances like we did in that second half."

As a prop forward who can be relied upon to provide more than his weight in tries, Ward was in excellent form again against Bradford and made it nine for the season when crashing over from close range.

That pulled the deficit back to a mere four points with half an hour left and though Luke Adamson touched down after that, the try was ruled out for obstruction.

"I personally thought Adamson's try was a try," added Ward. "I don't think there was really much of an obstruction in there.

"You've got a lead runner on the try line, it happens every week.

"That would have put us level with a kick to come with 15 minutes to go. That's a big switch.

"But those things happen, that's rugby league.

"When we're at our best and the other team's at their best, we win. It's just a matter of being at our best."

* BATLEY'S annual pink weekend is taking place, raising money for breast cancer charities.

Bulldogs players will wear a pink kit and there is entertainment for the family before and after the game at the Fox's Biscuits Stadium.