Dewsbury Rams on loan player Chris Annakin was very positive following the defeat against Sheffield Eagles at the weekend, believing the Rams are not far away from being a good side.
Speaking to the media following the 13-16 defeat, Annakin said: “I don’t think there is a long way to go, it is just a couple of things and once we click the wins will come flooding in, we are not that far away.
“It’s obviously disappointing that we didn’t come away with a win, I thought we dominated most of the game and that has been a bit of a story for us this year. We can play well and get out in front and then it seems to be us that loses it, with penalties and errors and they are creeping back in at the back end of things.
“In terms of where the club is now to where the team was last year I think there is a lot more to be positive and proud about than feeling sorry for ourselves.
“The feeling in the dressing room after the game was full disappointment and no one was looking at the positives. We are looking at how far we have come and we have got our own expectations and shouldn’t be losing to these teams. We should be beating them at home.
“We are the ones who are beating ourselves, we are being beaten by other teams, we are defending well and bashing teams up the middle, we are making a mark for ourselves with being two or three tries in front and then we just need better game management. We need to stop the penalties and be a bit more disciplined and finish those games off and put them to bed.
“It’s not as though we are chasing games or we aren’t good enough or need more players it’s simply down to game management and once we get that right I think the wins will come flooding in.”
Annakin made his 100th career appearance on Sunday, having played in Super League and at Championship level, he insists he wants to play a few more hundred games before he retires.
He continued: “I have not been a player that has played week in and week out and although I have played at Super League level I have been a fringe player and I know that. So some years I have had to wait my chance, I have also suffered with a lot of injuries, I think I made my debut at the age of 21. I could have had a lot more games if I had been out on loan like I am now, or if I didn’t have the injuries.
“That is just the way things go, and I am proud to have made 100 appearances, and let’s just hope there is a few more hundred to come.”
Next week the Rams will play Featherstone away from home, and Annakin believes that the Rovers are again another team that Dewsbury can beat.
He commented:”I hope I am in the team, I think that is the way the team is going and it’s where we see ourselves, up there with those top part time teams. Like Sheffield they were unbeaten until last week and today we could have easily beaten them, we are not getting beat up by those big teams we are beating them up.
“Hopefully we can go to Featherstone next week and do the same and beat them up and with better game management come away with a win.”
