Swinton to get stuck in early against Oldham

Swinton Lions coach John Duffy wants his players to make sure that they get an early grip on the game this weekend against Oldham.

The Lions lost 36-24 at Dewsbury last time out, and Duffy felt that there were some positives to take from the game.

“I thought our effort was there and our last 20 minutes was good,” he said.

“We’ve got to take that into this week. Our games against Oldham are always tight, it will be about who can control the ball better.

“Last time their pivots controlled the game better than ours. We’ll be working on that this week to try and control the game and get a good start.”

Back rower Connor Dwyer is doubtful for Swinton after picking up a head injury.

Oldham won 30-16 against Workington Town, and coach Scott Naylor hopes his forwards can build on their excellent work in that game.

“The biggest difference between this performance and how we played against Workington a fortnight ago was how our forwards got stuck in and played with desire and a lot of physicality,” he said.

“Our middle unit was superb. We made a few changes and the lads who came in were terrific.

“The result was everything. In terms of a survival ‘four pointer’, it was as big as it gets. The win puts us in a strong position, but that’s all it does.

“It doesn’t guarantee us anything. There’s still six games to play and a lot of points to be won. We’ve a lot of hard work ahead.”