Hard work in store

SWINTON Lions will be on the prowl at Boundary Park this weekend, with Roughyeds boss Tony Benson eager to put across a positive slant on his side’s fourth-place finish in Co-operative Championship One.

A last-day 36-18 defeat at resurgent Hunslet was a sixth in 10 matches in all competitions and a seventh in total in the league.

The performance didn’t inspire too much confidence ahead of the end-of-season campaign which starts with the visit of the Lions on Sunday in an elimination play-off (3pm kick-off), but Benson is emphasising that only hard graft can turn things around to avoid an exit at the first hurdle.

“The good thing is, other results have gone our way and the work we have done earlier in the year has meant that we are now in a play-off situation at home,” said Benson.

“So nothing has changed really and that is the positive.

“The other half of the equation is that we now have a lot of hard work in store this week to get ready for Swinton and we will focus on getting stuck into that now.

“It is disappointing, but we are in a good place. We have a week to get it right.”

The route to the final, should Oldham overcome their local rivals, will then encompass a home elimination semi-final against the winners of the Blackpool-Hunslet clash, followed the week after by a visit to the loser of the Keighley-York game in a final eliminator.

Matty Ashe, currently on loan from Swinton, suffered an eye injury at Hunslet having being called up late due to Craig Littler’s withdrawal on the morning of the game due to illness. Phil Joseph pulled a hamstring and will be looked at today.

Leigh will play next season in Championship One despite winning 47-14 against Whitehaven on the last day.

Fellow Championship relegation candidates Gateshead, 56-0 winners at already-doomed Doncaster, and Batley, triumphant 30-26 at Featherstone, stay up on points difference.

Toulouse, who ended the season second-bottom a place below the Centurions, survive due to not being eligible for demotion.

Dewsbury’s 34-14 win at Blackpool in Championship One meant they became only the second team ever to finish the season with a 100-per-cent record, matching Hull FC’s feat in division two in 1978-79.