Rovers gearing up for '˜grand final'

The sides’ final game of the regular season will be a winner-takes-all shoot-out for a place in the Qualifiers.

Rovers kept their hopes alive with a 24-20 win at Halifax two days ago which moved them up a place to fifth in the Kingstone Press Championship.

Bradford climbed to fourth after their 44-12 home win over Oldham, but only points difference separates them from Featherstone.

Defeat at Halifax – who had beaten them twice earlier in the season – would have ended Featherstone’s chances and boss Jon Sharp said: “When we played Batley that was a quarter-final.

“Winning that got us through to the semi-final against Halifax and we have got a Grand Final this week.

“We have done really well considering the disruptions we have had on and off the field.”

Of Rovers’ performance, Sharp added: “We played really well.

“They nilled us the last time we played them, at Blackpool. We needed to fight and I thought we did that.

“There’s still some improvement in us, we can get better, but we were great.”

Rovers came through their win at the Shay unscathed and Sharp said he will field an unchanged team on Sunday.