SWINTON LIONS coach Paul Wood is looking at the positives of weekends off as a way for his young side to gel and continue their development.
The disjointed fixture list is a regular topic amongst League One coaches and Wood is no different.
He said: “It has its pros and cons. It is very stop-start. I was speaking to another coach and sometimes it is frustrating, but the plus side to it is you get to rest some bodies.
“We picked up a couple of knocks against Keighley and had lads playing through the pain barrier a bit, so we can rest them and make sure they’re fully fit for Good Friday.
“I’d sooner play every single week and get into a rhythm, but it’s just not the case. With Cornwall dropping out that puts more space in the fixtures.
“We’ll keep the lads fit and ready. It’s a plus for us as a relatively new side, we’ve got a lot of things we want to work on to get those partnerships and combinations going.
“We can only control the controllables. We don’t want to waste too much energy focusing on things out of our control.”
The Lions are relatively healthy heading into the Easter weekend with only utility back Adam Jones, a recent signing from Widnes Vikings, expected to be sidelined with an unspecified injury.
They face their nearest rivals Rochdale Hornets, with the Lions looking to avenge their defeat earlier in the season in the 1895 Cup.
Wood added: “It’s our local derby, they started the season on fire and had some really good wins.
“We know they’ll be coming into this game really prepared and desperate to win, as all teams are that we’ve faced. It should be a really good battle.
“The fans have been outstanding. They’ve got a bit of belief in us now with the manner we’ve got the wins in recent weeks that has put smiles on their faces. It’s important we put a good performance in for the fans.
“We do talk about how people give up their time to come to the game, and how long some of them have supported the club and how much of a privilege it is to be involved at Swinton, whether you’re a player, coach or kit man. We appreciate the support of the fans.”