HALIFAX player-coach David Larder has admitted the club’s final Co-operative Championship league fixture at Hunslet has taken on a different complexion after last weekend’s results confirmed a play off date at Batley.
Fax’s defeat at York, coupled with the Bulldogs’ loss to Sheffield at Bramall Lane, left both sides marooned on the league ladder ahead of the last round of regular season games.
Karl Harrison’s side will finish third with Fax secure in sixth, regardless of the result at the South Leeds Stadium a week on Sunday.
“It gives us some certainty going into that last league game,” said Larder, who underlined the immediate priority was to get a result against the Hawks to help erase memories of last Thursday’s 22-8 defeat at lowly York.
“We know who we’re playing and where we’re playing, which hasn’t been the case over the last few years when there have been all sorts of permutations about who will finish where.
“We’re not going there needing a result, but we need to regroup and get back to the kind of performance we know we are capable of, because if we do that we are always confident we can get a result anywhere in this league.
“It will give us the chance to perhaps look at a few of the things that we will need to do well against Batley, a little bit of a dress rehearsal I suppose.
“At the same time we will want to keep a few things under wraps as well because I am sure Karl will be getting the DVD from that game and going through it.
“The main thing is that we get our own house in order again after what happened against York.”
Fax will resume training next week after their now traditional pre-Wembley break, and, despite events at the Huntington Stadium, Larder believes it has arrived at the right moment.
“It was something we agreed at the start of the year and it’s something that’s worked well for us in the past,” said Larder.
“We’re pretty wounded as a squad at the moment, with a lot of players carrying injuries, and I think a break is the best thing for us right now.”
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