Barber hoping Panthers can rebuild some momentum against Swinton

Getting back on track against Swinton will not be easy, according to Halifax star Ed Barber.
Ed Barber. Photo: Simon Hall/OMH Rugby PicsEd Barber. Photo: Simon Hall/OMH Rugby Pics
Ed Barber. Photo: Simon Hall/OMH Rugby Pics

The Panthers will be looking to bounce back from their narrow 25-6 defeat which ended the club’s nine-match winning run.

One positive from the defeat was the early try scored by Barber himself.

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Nevertheless, the 31-year-old would have taken the win over a try in a heartbeat, saying: “It was a bad day at the office all round really. It reminded us of the Oldham game when we lost there earlier in the season.

“We had plenty of chances to score but the final pass just didn’t go to hand. Too many unforced errors really. I don’t think I had an outstanding game. I would have rather taken the two points than get a try.”

The attention this weekend turns to relegation threatened Swinton Lions. In order to stand any chance of survival, the Lions will need to win all of their remaining games, starting against the Panthers on Sunday.

Halifax won their last head-to-head encounter, however the club has historically struggled against the Greater Manchester based team.

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Barber said: “Swinton are our bogey team. They’ve got a really good attacking shape and it will be a tricky game like every other weekend.”

A week after the Swinton game, Halifax will take on one of the Championship’s most in-form teams, Featherstone Rovers.

Barber is hoping that a result against Swinton can help build morale ahead of the visit Featherstone.

He said: “Featherstone – a horrible place to go, running up that hill. They’re a great team, they’ve got some great players. We just need to build some momentum and build some confidence back and hopefully turn them over.”

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Despite their recent defeat to Widnes, this has so far been a very strong campaign from the Panthers.

Barber has put the strong season down to team cohesion saying: “I think this year, we’ve only got a small squad, it’s a tight-knit group and we work for each other.”