Live - Featherstone v Gateshead - 1500BST

Aussie scrum-half Luke Branighan has been in excellent form for Thunder

Gateshead head coach Steve McCormack has urged his players to extend their winning run when they travel to Featherstone Rovers on Sunday.

Thunder have beaten Leigh and Halifax in their last two matches and McCormack believes the wins have given his squad new confidence to get results.

"We've got a decent squad and if we perform like we can do then we can beat anyone," he told BBC Newcastle.

"Teams are going to have to play well if they want to beat us."

One key factor in Thunder's last two victories has been the performance of Australian scrum-half Luke Branighan, alongside a new-look backline that includes compatriots Russ Aitken, Nick Youngquest, Paul Franze and Kris Kahler.

And McCormack admitted that the former Cronulla half-back has benefitted from the extra strength in depth at the International Stadium.

"It looks like he's enjoying himself, and become I came he was a player I was looking forward to working with, he's an outstanding talent," he said.

"Players like that often work better off the back of a good run forward, and the introduction of people like (forwards) Liam Watts, Nathan Massey and Anthony England, (Ryan) McBride's playing well, Kahler's playing quite well and it's no coincidence that when your pack goes forward, people like Aitken, Youngquest and Branighan start to play.

"Dylan Nash scored three, should have had four last week and and that's purely because we're working hard in that ruck area and if that's the case then we're going to get chances."

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