'We never looked like losing' - Dons coach reacts to Batley success

A fifth win in six games finally saw the Dons, level on points with fifth placed Featherstone but with a game in hand, climb into the top six.

“It’s been a long time coming but now we’ve got to try and consolidate our position and try and improve it,” said a smiling head coach Richard Horne. “The target now is probably fourth-placed Oldham.”

But with some big games coming up during the run-in, including four games against the teams above the Dons, Horne knows his side will have to be better.

“It was a mixed bag,” he said. “There were areas of the game where we were very good and then we dropped off a bit and it was scrappy at times,

“We had too many options (in attack) at times and we didn’t always make the right decisions. And while we got away with it against Batley we probably wouldn’t have against the likes of York, Bradford, Oldham and Featherstone.

“Fortunately, we executed several early chances and built up a commanding (26-6) interval lead.

“We never looked like losing the game but I just felt that the positional changes we had to make during the game due to people picking up knocks, and the toll the recent games and travelling have taken on the players, had an impact in the final quarter and we looked a bit tired at the end.

“Isaac Misky, for instance, had to play his first 80 minutes of the season because we weren’t able to rotate at hooker as we normally do with Watson (Boas) who can play there having to switch to centre when Brad Hey went off. But he got through the game and did a decent job.

“As I say, it wasn’t perfect but we’ve got a great team and everyone knows their roles and what we are asking from them and we aren’t going to make big changes to what we are doing.

“It is just about getting that balance right as to when to attack and when to find the right pass and strike the killer blow and when to build pressure.”

One part of the Dons’ performance to particularly please Horne was the contribution of former PNG international team-mates Watson Boas and Edene Gebbie.

Said Horne:“Watson is playing with so much energy. He’s got himself fit this season after probably letting himself go a bit last season, and that is showing in his performances. He supports well and sniffs out a try. Any sort of break he’s on the end of it – and both he and Edene are fighting for the tries and also linking up well.”

The club will be checking on Tyla Hepi who suffered a shoulder injury ahead of Sunday’s home game against Hunslet.