Keighley Cougars’ goal-kicking scrum half Danny Jones believes that the chances of finishing in the lead positions for the Co-operative Championship One play-off lie in the team’s defensive grit.

Speaking just hours after the Cougar’s 20-16 win at Workington Town Jones, who is one of the leading points scorers in the division, said: “We’ve still got some work to do on our defence.

“At Workington on Sunday we should have scored at least another three times which would certainly help lift our points difference.

“Instead we let them in for three tries and ended up battling to keep the three points.

“Having a good points difference is like an extra bonus point and we definitely let it slide at Derwent Park.

“It’s been the same for much of this season. We’ve always known that our attack could get us out of trouble but it means that we’ve shipped more points than we ought and lost games we could and should have won.

“If we want to be in a good spot for the play-offs then we just have defend better.”

Jones, one of deepest thinkers about the game in the Cougars dressing room, said: “Really we have to win our last three games to take third place and be in the right place to move into second if Oldham slip up.

“What happens is down to us and the secret to doing well is in what we want to achieve in defence”.

Jones has also identified the last regular season home game against Hunslet Hawks on Sunday, August 23 as a major challenge.

“Since Paul March has joined them from York they’ve improved dramatically and he’s signed quite a few players,” reflected Danny.

“They’ll be tough to beat and I’m expecting a hard match.”

Jones has been one of the most consistent goal-kickers in professional rugby league this season.

So far he has kicked 72 goals in Championship One games and 86 goals plus He’s seventh in the overall points scoring list and fifth in the league’s goal-kicking chart.

“I’ve been kicking consistently this year,” he said. “But I feel that I kicked better last season even after I missed some Northern Rail Cup games through injury.

“I’m happy to spend 30 minutes practising my kicking before the warm-up for each game starts. I feel that’s all I need to stay in shape”.

But Jones remains confident in the Cougars’ ability.

“The fact that we’ve been able to win matches when we’ve not played particularly well says a great deal about the team and its players,” he said.

“Oldham have got a really tough run in and if they stumble – and I believe they will – we’ll be in the ideal position to take full advantage”.

Decent kicking game would help too, stop kicking it down the other fullbacks throat, and make him chase the ball