‘We live to fight another day’ insists Harrison
Halifax may have lost 20-4 to rivals Featherstone but coach Karl Harrison is already eyeing battles yet to come. It was a clash billed as the £250,000 showdown – the difference in prize money for the teams finishing second and third in the Championship.
And Featherstone, who have to play Sheffield at home and Keighley away, will go into the last two games of the regular campaign with a two point advantage
“There are two big league games left then a play-off series,” said Harrison. “We intend to be in the big games.
“We have been playing knockout football for a few weeks.
“We were nine games undefeated going into the game – to lose on the 10th was disappointing but I suppose runs are meant to be ended.
“Finishing second is out of our hands now – we have to rely on other teams to beat Featherstone and we have to beat Doncaster and Barrow which is no easy task in itself.
“But we need to think about getting into Grand Finals and that’s what we intend to do.”
The damage was done in the opening 22 minutes during which Rovers bagged four tries to open up a 20-0 lead.
“We were 20 points down in 20 minutes – Featherstone were very, very good in that spell,” added Harrison.
“We struggled with the conditions, could not get the ball in their half and were always defending in our part of the field.
“Featherstone were clinical but every player in our changing room gave everything they had. It was not quite good enough on the day – but we live to fight another day.”
Featherstone winger Jason Crookes did most of the damage, bagging himself a hattrick of tries.
“The left edge in the first part of the game came up with some poor decisions and some poor plays,” said Harrison.
“We probably were a man down defensively but you have to handle the player and we weren’t quite good enough.
“We need to review it, sit down with players and get ready for Doncaster.
“We are bitterly disappointed, but it’s not the end of the world.”
There is now a break for the Challenge Cup Final and that will give the Fax players time to recover from their battle wounds.
“We have a few busted people,” said Harrison. “There were players on the field doing it tough.
“The break gives us chance to patch them up and get them ready for Doncaster.”