Hirst: Fax prop says better showing is ‘paramount’
HALIFAX PROP Keegan Hirst has emphasised the need for a marked improvement in performance ahead of Saturday’s fourth round Challenge Cup tie against Sheffield at Belle Vue (2.0).
Hirst, a former Wakefield player, admitted in the wake of Tuesday night’s 18-16 reverse against Dewsbury that Fax have yet to produce the quality they hinted at in pre-season.
And while he cited the loss of half back Tom Gilmore to injury and full back Scott Grix to a controversial red card as mitigating factors, the veteran prop was blunt in his assessment.
“We want to start building some momentum now, because we’re a better team than the stuff we’re dishing up at the minute,” said Hirst.
“Performance wise, we need to turn that on its head, sharpish.
“We want to be in the next round, no doubt about that, but at the moment putting in a performance that we’re all happy with is paramount.
“Tuesday was disappointing. “We held in there at the end of the first half when we had 11 men and felt we were in control.
“It didn’t go for us on the day; Gilmore getting injured early on, Grixy getting sent off.
“When you lose a half back and a full back, it has a big impact.
“But we conceded a couple of soft tries through poor discipline and poor ball retention and we can’t blame anything other than ourselves.
“We need to be better individually, then pull that together as a team in those areas.
“We had that game won. They didn’t win it, we lost it.
“It’s frustrating, but it’s fixable.
“There is a willingness to work hard for each other.”
The Eagles are unlikely to hold any surprises after meeting on the opening weekend of the Championship season, with Fax sneaking a win with a late Oliver Roberts try.
“We’ve already played them, so we know what they’re about,” said Hirst.
“We didn’t play particularly well that day and we need to put that right and Tuesday night right.”
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