Featherstone Rovers v Leigh Centurions – Return of John Duffy of little interest to Ryan Carr

TOP SPOT is out of reach, but the race to finish as runners-up to Toronto Wolfpack in the Betfred Championship remains wide open and that makes today’s visit of Leigh Centurions a huge game for Featherstone Rovers (3pm).
FAMILIAR FACE: Former Featherstone head coach John Duffy. returns with Leigh on Sunday. Picture: Jonathan GawthorpeFAMILIAR FACE: Former Featherstone head coach John Duffy. returns with Leigh on Sunday. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe
FAMILIAR FACE: Former Featherstone head coach John Duffy. returns with Leigh on Sunday. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

Leigh began round 20 third in the table, two points ahead of fifth-placed Rovers who have a better points difference.

Both teams are in good form - Rovers having won seven of their last eight league matches and Leigh eight from nine - and Featherstone boss Ryan Carr is under no illusions about the importance of tomorrow’s showdown.

Featherstone got the better of Halifax last week. Picture: Halifax Courier.Featherstone got the better of Halifax last week. Picture: Halifax Courier.
Featherstone got the better of Halifax last week. Picture: Halifax Courier.
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“When you are playing teams up at the top they are the ones you’ve got to win if you want to be up there at the back end of the season,” Carr said.

“I have watched a fair few of their games over the past month or two and they have got threat all over the park.

“They keep adding players and they have got a strong, deep squad with no real weak links there.”

Leigh coach John Duffy will be returning to LD Nutrition Stadium, Post Office Road, for the first time since quitting as Rovers boss last autumn.

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That will add spice to an already highly-charged showdown, but Carr insisted he and his players aren’t looking at matters outside their control.

“I try not to buy into that,” he said.

“We live in our own little bubble.

“The boys have done that all year from when we started with no pre-season to now.

“We have got to make sure we are at our best, we can’t focus too much on Leigh or the emotion of it.

“We are at home and we always like to play our best and really put a good performance in here.”

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Rovers let themselves down in their last home game when they were beaten by relegation-threatened Barrow Raiders, a defeat which cost them second place in the table. They bounced back with a hard-fought win at Halifax last week and that will send them into today in confident mood.

“We are a team that turns up and wants to play for each other,” Carr added.

“Last week was a really good win for us and we need to make sure we are on our game on Sunday, we cut out a few little errors and things and we are playing our best.”