Grix: Fax will need to improve to win at Featherstone

Fax squeaked home 18-17 against Sheffield in round one, but needed two tries in the last five minutes from James Saltonstall and Oliver Roberts to salvage a sub-par performance.

And Grix knows that Rovers, beaten by Toronto in last season’s Grand Final, are unlikely to be as forgiving if Fax do not raise their game.

“Featherstone are a very good team,” said Grix.

“They finished second last year and their recruitment over the winter reflects that.

“There’s lots of quality and lots of Super League experience, so this is a big test for us.

“If we do not manage possession significantly better than we did against Sheffield, keeping hold of it and then turning it over in the right areas of the field, then it’s going to be a difficult evening.

“The result won’t make or break our season, but it’s about performance and consistency.

“We didn’t really deliver that against Sheffield, even though we won the game.”

Grix is likely to make a number of changes to the side that edged past the Eagles, with back rower Ed Barber and winger Shaun Robinson both pushing for inclusion.

Grix will have Roberts, dual-registered from Super League neighbours Huddersfield, available, while another Giant - the prop Oliver Wilson - is also in his squad.

Hooker Keal Carlile will definitely be sidelined against his former club, with the RFL’s new concussion protocol automatically ruling him out, although that news will be tempered by the return of Brandon Moore from suspension.

“Ed would probably have played against Sheffield if he’d not missed those three weeks of training with his knee, and Robinson might come in too,” said Grix.

“With Shaun, it’s a bit of horses for courses, because I was happy with both the wingers against Sheffield.

“But we’re going to be coming out of our own end a lot on Sunday and that yardage is something Shaun’s very good at.

“We won’t have Keal though, unfortunately. The new concussion rules mean he has to stand down for eight days, so there’s no way we can turn him around.

“Brandon will come straight in, with young Curtis Davies on the bench.

“Curt’s improving all the time; we know where he’s at and he knows where he’s at.

“He made a couple of skill errors against Sheffield, which is something he’s working hard at, but his defence was very good.”

Fax trio Reece Chapman-Smith, Fraser Stroud and Oliver Waite all played for the Huddersfield reserve side that played London last weekend, Chapman-Smith and Stroud both scoring tries.