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SWINTON LIONS V WORKINGTON TOWN – PLAYOFF PREVIEW

13 October 2018

Swinton Lions host Workington Town in a playoff final to determine who takes the final position in the Betfred Championship for 2019.

Swinton welcome League 1’s Workington Town in a promotion playoff final which will determine which team will play Championship rugby league next season.

The Cumbrian side will face the Lions this Sunday after their defeat in the League 1 playoff final, where Bradford Bulls secured promotion to rugby league’s second tier with a 27-8 victory at Odsal Stadium.

Following the Lions’ 8th-placed finish in the Championship Shield, Stuart Littler’s side must now beat Town to maintain their position in the Betfred Championship, ahead of the league’s expansion from 12 to 14 teams for the 2019 season at part of the new structure changes.

With the Super League Grand Final between Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves also taking place at Old Trafford on Saturday night, it is set to be a big weekend of rugby league in Manchester.

Any fans going to the Super League’s showpiece event can bring their valid ticket stub on Sunday to gain entry to the game for just £10. 

 

LAST TIME OUT

Swinton Lions 19-12 Workington Town

The Lions were made to work hard to gain victory over an injury-ravaged Workington side that arrived at Heywood Road with only sixteen fit players with John Patrick just making up the numbers on the bench.

Stuart Littler put the Lions ahead in the fifth minute when he caught a bounce from a Ben White kick to score on the right and Chris Atkin converted. This was quickly followed with a try from winger Liam Marshall who dived in at the left corner from a Macauley Hallett pass, but Atkin could not convert.

Town hit back with a Marc Shackley try after the Lions lost the ball at the restart and it was quickly swung left for the second row man to score and Jarrod Sammut converted. Atkin stretched the Lions lead again on twenty-one minutes when he sold a big dummy to the Town defence and raced away to score and convert and it looked like Town might crumble but this was not to be.

Town had a couple of good chances just after the second half started with Jack Murphy and Sammut going close but the Lions defence held firm before going further ahead with an Atkin penalty goal for obstruction.

Atkin saw a drop goal attempt sail well wide on seventy minutes, before Town came back into the game when Jason Mossop scored on the left and Sammut converted to put them six points behind. However, Atkin made the game safe with five minutes left as he added a drop goal to claim victory.

Ian Rigg reporting from Heywood Road, 29/08/2016 

 

COACH’S COMMENTS

Stuart Littler spoke to LionsTV’s Colin James after his side’s defeat to Batley Bulldogs at Mount Pleasant. 

“It is what it is. We didn’t intend to be in a playoff, but with the results going the way they have gone we are. Fair play to Rochdale, they have dug in and got some results at the end of the year and showed some toughness.

“It’s that blend, they (Workington) will be used to winning, it’s like the blend in Super 8 where a team in the Championship is used to winning and the other team is not. It’s a Grand Final, we’re saying that every week.

“We had opportunities at Barrow and couldn’t nail it, we had opportunities against Featherstone and we didn’t quite nail it either. Today, we’ve probably not showed up in that second half and knew it was always going to be tough going up that hill.

“We’ve got another opportunity with the proposal, we’ got to take it and make the most of it. We need lads fighting for positions with a will to play for Swinton and earn a contract, either here or elsewhere whatever happens. I want to be in this Championship, the boys want to be the Championship, so it’s all on the next game.”

 

TEAM NEWS

George Tyson and Andy Bracek return to the Lions squad but Paul Wood will miss the final game of the season whilst still suffering with a rib injury.

Josh Woods, Liam Paisley and Craig Mullen all join the Lions’ squad on dual-registration from Wigan Warriors.

LIONS SQUAD TO FACE WORKINGTON: Ben Austin, Andy Bracek, Elliott Caine, Rob Fairclough, Josh Ganson, Ryan Gray, Aaron Hall, Jack Hansen, Will Hope, Paddy Jones, Rhodri Lloyd, Craig Mullen, Liam Paisley, Kyle Shelford, George Tyson, Andy Thornley, Luke Waterworth, Josh Woods, Chris Worrall

WORKINGTON SQUAD TO FACE LIONS: TBC

 

KEY INFORMATION

REFEREE: G. Dolan  TOUCH JUDGES: J. Smith, G. Jones

KICK-OFF: Sunday 14th October, 15:00 BST

VENUE: Heywood Road Sale, Manchester, M33 3WB

TICKETS: Adults – £17, Concessions  – £13, Juniors – £2, Grand Final ticker holders – £10

 

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