DON’T forget to set your alarms!
That’s the message from Giants chiefs as they’ve made the Galpharm Challenge Cup clash with Rochdale Hornets an 11.30am kick-off!
The fifth-round tie on Sunday, May 10, is also a cut-price encounter but has been brought forward to avoid a clash with the televised match between St Helens and Catalans Dragons.
It’s an experimental move which chairman Ken Davy and the board hope will meet with the approval of fans who have seen their team make a superb start to Super League XIV.
Coach Nathan Brown, who expects today to hear the results of scans on Liam Fulton’s injury (he could be out for six weeks), isn’t worried about the early Cup kick-off.
He’s focusing only on the upcoming Super League clashes and maintaining second place in the engage table, starting against Leeds Rhinos at the Galpharm on Saturday.
“The Cup-tie is way down the line and we’ll deal with it when we get to it,” said Brown, delighted that Andy Raleigh has received only a caution from RFL disciplinary chiefs after being cited for raising a knee while in possession of the ball during the win at Hull KR.
“We have to stay focused on the job in hand, which means the Leeds game next, and I’ve told the players we can’t afford to take our eye off the ball in that sense.
“We’ve got to be reasonably happy with second place after nine rounds of the competition, but it’s early days and we have to capitalise on what we’ve done so far.
“It’s no good being second now and then being eighth or 10th when it comes to the crunch.
“The table is so tight that if you don’t maintain standards then you can quickly drop a few games and a few places.”
Brown said he had not set any targets for the team – just to be the best they can be.
“The way we have prepared in pre-season and the way we have gone into games has all been designed to make sure we give ourselves a chance of doing well.
“For us to achieve that, we have to have everyone doing their bit. We can’t afford to carry any people who are not giving the required effort of a Giants player.
“It’s not about targets. All I want to see is that they’ve give the right effort and attitude and that they produce those qualities on a consistent basis.
“If we do that, we will be on the right track.”
Pre-paid admission for the Rochdale Cup-tie will be £10 adults and £5 seniors and students. It’s free for Under 16s. Tickets are on sale now from the Galpharm ticket office.
If people pay at the gate on the day, it’s £12.50 for adults and £7 for seniors and students. It’s still free for Under 16s. The Pink Link will not be open.
