SWINTON's game against Oldham at Gigg Lane on Sunday was hit by the weather, but the Lions have two games lined up in the next six days writes STEVE BOTT.

"The pitch was still rock hard on Sunday and its a mess now, because, at the moment, its flooded," said Lions' chief executive, Tony Barrow, on Monday morning.

"Everybody is in the same boat though. Hartlepool's pitch looked like a mudbath on the television the other day and Liverpool are going to have to lay a new one at the end of the season, even though they have just spent £85,000 on it, so what chance have we got," said Barrow.

The Lions are due to travel to Widnes on Thursday night (kick-off 7.30pm) for a re-arranged league game and they entertain Second Division Conference side New Erswick in the Challenge Cup at Gigg Lane on Sunday (kick-off 3pm).

One way Lions' coach Mike Gregory has benefited from the recent postponements is that all his injury worries have cleared and he will have a fully-fit squad to choose from.