Fax focus on result at Swinton, sign Wigan forward on loan

Fax dropped a place to fourth in the Championship after narrowly losing 36-30 at Leigh last weekend and now face the Lions, Batley and Barrow before a hat-trick of fixtures that will prove decisive in the race for a top four finish against direct rivals Featherstone, London and Toulouse.

And Marshall knows they cannot afford to slip up against a team that have consistently troubled them during his reign.

“We just need to get this one done,” said Marshall.

“Leigh was an emotional rollercoaster for everyone; we felt like we won it, lost it, won it, drew it and then lost it again.

“It was draining in that sense, and there’s always the danger you might be flat after such a big game, but physically it wasn’t that hard; it was quite stop start.

“We actually trained really well against the reserves on Tuesday night so we should be ready to go by the weekend.

“I don’t think there’s any reason we’ve struggled at times against Swinton other than the fact they’re just a really decent side.

“I still rate them as one of the best attacking teams in the competition and they scramble really well in defence, so you need to work very hard to beat them.

“In terms of the table, we’re okay with where we are; it’s still in our control and we know if we win every game, we’ll be in there at the end.

“We’ve got those three games in July that everyone will be looking at, but they’ll only be important if we don’t slip up between now and then.”

Fax came out of the Leigh game with a clean bill of health, giving Marshall the luxury of not having team changes forced upon him.

But with outside backs Will Sharp and James Woodburn-Hall, both missing last weekend through injury, potentially available and centre Steve Tyrer free from suspension, the coach has some decisions to make.

“I’ll have some headaches this week,” he said.

“James and Will may well be fit and Steve is back in the mix after a week off.

“We can have James Green and Will Maher from Castleford if we want them, so we’re doing okay at the moment.”

Having signed Hull KR full back Kieren Moss on loan last week, Marshall has dipped into the market again to pick up Wigan back rower Macauley Davies on a month’s loan.

Davies, an England Academy international, played for Swinton on dual registration in their 18-12 loss to Fax earlier in the year and apparently turned down a return to try his luck with Marshall’s side.

“There were a few clubs interested in Macauley, but he’s backed himself to come here and try and get in the team,” said Marshall.

“I’ve told him I can’t promise him first team rugby league, but he’ll start with the reserves and try to earn an opportunity.

“He’s been in a good system at Wigan and he’s played Academy at international level so there’s some talent there.”