Doncaster set for fitness boost ahead of difficult spell on the road

Crusaders posted a 46-0 win over the Dons at the Eco-Power Stadium early last month.

Horne admits it will be a stern challenge for his charges to avenge that defeat, as will the games at Swinton and Oldham which straddle the long trip to Cornwall.

The Dons are hitting the road while pitch renovation work is carried out at the Eco-Power Stadium.

“We’ll train a little bit and give the players some time off over the next fortnight,” said Horne.

"And then we’ll turn our full focus on the trip to North Wales and have a full week of training leading up to that game.

“We aren’t putting numbers on the points we hope to pick up in the next four games.

“We want to win every game and we’ll prepare well to try and do that and we’ll take each game as it comes.

“We feel that we’ve got quality players and that we can beat anybody in this league on our day.

“We just need to make sure that we are focused and do everything right and turn up on the day.

"We are just getting a mixed bag at the moment and going from rocks to diamonds.

"It’s about consistency for us and we know that we are going to have to raise our game in the second half of the season.

“It helps, of course, if you can field your best team on a regular basis, as (leaders) Keighley have managed to do.

"We had eight lads, some of whom have been out for a long time, sat on the sidelines at the weekend.

“But hopefully everyone, including (PNG international half-back) Watson Boas, who has not played for a year, will be available for the North Wales game.

“It will be great to have a selection headache going into the second half of the season.

"But we aren’t stupid and we realise that it’s about the play-offs for us and not automatic promotion.

"It’s just a case of how high we can finish and giving ourselves every chance.”

Horne, who has been critical of scrum-half Connor Robinson on occasions this season, had nothing but praise for him after win over Hunslet last time out.

“I thought he had his best game for us, and the return (after a five-match suspension) of stand-off Ben Johnston helped with that as it took a little bit of pressure off him.

"He probably thinks he’s got to create something and he doesn’t always have to do that.

“He’s probably just got to get the ball into the hands of our strike players and let them do that and he did that today and well as kicking very well both for goal and out of hand.”

Dons head coach not completely satisfied despite routine win over Hunslet Hawks