VETERAN forward David Larder has pinpointed June and July as being critical to Halifax's National League One title bid.
Fax moved level on points with Salford at the top of the table after Sunday's 56-14 massacre of Batley and have a weekend off before they host the Bulldogs' Heavy Woollen neighbours Dewsbury in round seven.
Coach Matt Calland sounded a note of caution yesterday, claiming that his side "haven't played anybody yet" after a relatively easy start to their league programme.
And Larder, who made a seamless transition from attacking back rower to stand-in prop after club captain Paul Southern was ruled out with a hamstring problem, is well aware that Fax's biggest tests are edging ever closer.
Video: See more of the David Larder interview, plus all the Fax tries from Monday's hammering of Batley."We have a real big couple of months coming up, when we play Salford, Leigh, Widnes twice and Whitehaven," said Larder.
"Those teams will all be up there at the end of the year and we need to be as high up the table as we can be going into those games.
"But we are pretty confident that if we get our performance right on the day we will beat anyone.
"Sunday was a top win for us and the defence was a lot better.
"We have been conceding far too many points and we need to continue to improve in that regard.
"From an attacking point of view we played some good stuff in the second half and we know we are going to cause problems for any team."
Larder capped a typically industrious effort at number 10 with a brilliantly taken late try, surging clear near half way before throwing an outrageous dummy to round Batley full back Ian Preece.
"I have played prop in fits and bursts over the last couple of years, 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there, and I enjoy it," said Larder.
"It's pretty tough, but you are in the game and see plenty of the ball.
"I don't have any plans to play there on a regular basis but I am happy to do what's best for the team.
"I don't remember much about the try, just pinning my ears back.
"I keep asking people how far out I was when I got the ball, and most people reckon about 50 metres, which will do for me."
Video: See more of the David Larder interview, plus all the Fax tries from Monday's hammering of Batley.The full article contains 426 words and appears in Evening Courier newspaper.
