HThompson

Last updated 01:00, Wednesday, 28 June 2006

By Helen Thompson

WORKINGTON TOWN coach Ged Stokes is looking to his back line to propel the side into the top half of the table.

Stokes, below, is conscious that other teams are combating Town’s powerful forwards and says he wants to turn to a more expansive game for this weekend’s crucial home clash with Hunslet Hawks, kick off 3pm.

Town slumped to their seventh defeat in NL2 on Sunday at the hands of Swinton Lions – despite leading 30-12 at the break – and they must turn around their fortunes this weekend to stand a realistic chance of making the promotion play-offs.

“The first half on Sunday proved that we can play a very expansive game and I want to get back to playing true rugby league,” said Stokes. We have been working on this in training and as a coach I know we need to do the basics well.

“We know we can use our big forwards to dominate a team but a lot of the other sides are getting wise to that now so we have to diversify.

“We need to be able to use the ball well and rely more on the back line.”

Stokes spoke to the players at training last night to address the problem areas from Sunday’s defeat and warned that they will have to pick themselves up from this point if they want to right their season.

“Every game is important from here,” added Stokes. “There are still 22 points available and all the teams we haven’t played are in the bottom half of the competition. We need to start picking up those two points.”

A win against Hunslet on Sunday would allow Town to leapfrog their opponents and move to within one place of the play-off positions.

But Stokes was adamant their main target had to be to improve their game first. Town are six points adrift of Barrow, who occupy the last play-off position, with one game in hand on their South Cumbrian neighbours.

And with games coming up in July against strugglers Hunslet (H), Blackpool (H & A) and Keighley (A), alongside a tough match at home to third-placed Sheffield, this will be be a crucial month for the Derwent Park outfit.