Smith aiming to stop Swinton’s pack

North Wales Crusaders must stop Swinton’s forward pack playing well if they want to win the iPro Sport Cup, according to Jono Smith.

The Crusaders forward believes that the final of the competition, which kicks off the Summer Bash at Bloomfield Road in Blackpool on Saturday at 12pm, is too close to call.

“Swinton have many experienced players especially in their forward pack, if we can stop their forwards it means their backs will have less of an impact in the game,” he said.

“It’s going to be a close, I wouldn’t say they have any weaknesses.

“Our only focus is what we can do as a team and in terms of my own performance I’m hoping to lead by example, every time I walk on the pitch I want to lead from the front but more importantly if we gel as a team we should win.”

Smith feels that the close nature of the Crusaders’ semi-final win over Oldham should stand them in good stead for the final.

“The semi was the toughest and most physical game I’ve ever played in, it’s always a tough place to go but when you’re playing with a final at stake the intensity always turns up a notch,” he added.

“We had to dig really deep and somehow find a way to the line, the performance was a real team effort and every single player was committed to coming away with the win.

“The team has gained confidence from the Oldham win, there’s a real buzz and sense of excitement in the camp. I’ve never played at Blackpool before and I can imagine the atmosphere will be amazing.

“In any sport the ultimate goal is to get to finals and win silverware, I just hope we can do our fans proud and bring home the trophy.”