Marshall: Next few weeks pivotal to Fax's top four ambitions

Fax return to action after a week off when they host struggling Dewsbury at the Shay on Sunday (3.0) before an important showdown with top four rivals Featherstone at the Summer Bash in Blackpool the following Saturday (5.15).

Marshall’s side, who have easily the most modest playing budget of all the top four contenders, currently sit sixth, but would go level on points with fourth-placed London if they win the game they have in hand on all the teams above them.

“The table usually starts to take shape after the Bash, when you’ve played 15 games or thereabouts, so it can be a significant point in the season for all the teams,” said Marshall.

“We tend to approach the year in month-long blocks and we’re in a tasty set of fixtures at the moment; starting with the Sheffield game two weeks ago and finishing with the Batley game on the first weekend in June.

“If we managed four wins from that block it would be tremendous, although it will be very, very difficult.

“By rights, we probably shouldn’t be anywhere near the four, when you look at the budgets of those teams above us, but I think the players quite like that, the idea of proving everyone wrong.

“We played pretty well at Dewsbury the other week and while they are probably due a win sometime soon, we can’t afford for that to be this weekend.”