Dan Potter’s a time served professional Rugby League player. Besides being the regular centre three-quarter for the Cougars, he’s played for Leeds, Bramley, Dewsbury, Widnes, Oldham, Leigh and his home-town club York, so he knows a thing or two about the sport.

Now, together with his Cougar teammates, he’s involved in the battle for placements in the Co-operative Championship One play-off.

The Cougars are running third in the table having been jocked off second place after the home defeat by Dewsbury Rams at the end of last month.

Potter’s verdict on the situation is very straight forward. “We win our last three regular season league games and we’re guaranteed third place,” he said.

“And if Oldham were to slip up in their run in we could stand a chance of second place.

“Oldham face a tough last three games, given their form at the moment. They have to play Blackpool Panthers away, York City Knights at home and Hunslet Hawks away. That’s not easy by any standards.

“The dark horses in the play-off could well be Blackpool.”

Potter was philosophical. He said: “The answer’s in our own hands. I know it’s become something that most sportsmen say but all we’re concentrating upon is next Sunday’s game against Hornets RL.

“That’s the way it is in modern Rugby League.”

Potter believes that apart from champions Dewsbury Rams, who have gone through their season so far with a defeat, that there’s not much to choose between the remaining teams.

“If you look at the Cougars so far this season without the two Dewsbury games then we’ve been very competitive,” he said.

“At the end of the year we’ll probably look back to the defeats at York and Hunslet when we lost by two and three points respectively and know that’s where we let ourselves down.

“But it’s comforting to know that we won’t be on our own in that aspect. Most clubs have picked up the same kind of results and will be left wondering about them”.

Dan took a good look at Cougars three remaining matches against Hornets RL (away), Hunslet Hawks (home) and London Skolars (away).

“Hornets have had a patchy season and they lost at home to Blackpool last week,” he said. “We should be good enough to beat them, although we can’t take anything for granted.

“Hunslet will be really tough. Since Paul March moved there from York the Hawks have really stepped up and I’m anticipating a real struggle in that fixture.

“London Skolars will have been buoyed by their performance against Oldham in front of the television cameras last Thursday and playing front of what’ll be their biggest home gate of the season on the eve of the Carnegie Challenge Cup Final they will want to do well. So that too won’t be too easy for us.

“But least we know what we have to do and we’ll be going flat out to deliver”.

+76 is the REAL challange and sadly has been all season!

3rd minmum will get us an away fixture but a quick trip to the final for there are no teams (exceot Dewsbury) who this team are incapable of not only beating but walloping.

I just wish they would realise that they can and actually do!

you've been obsessed with this when we hit top form were gonna wallop someone all season and it hasn't happened, I agree we have the makings of a very good team but I think your doing a disservice to other teams in and around us which puts more pressure on our team.I'm not having a pop, just try and accept we have been involved in an excellent entertaining season where any team can beat anyone on there day with the exception of dewsbury!if we have to win on Sunday by one point then so be it, however obviously IF we go up we SO need to strengthen.

I agree this team has shown in patches that they could really wallop someone, lets hops it is fo rthe next three matches and then right through the playoffs. A home fixture for the playoffs would be a huge advantage given we have only been beaten once at home all year.