John Dixon has seen Crusaders lose their first eight Super League games

Celtic Crusaders coach John Dixon admits that their winless run in Super League is starting to weigh heavily on the Bridgend club.

The top-flight new boys have lost all eight of their games so far, the latest a 40-18 home reverse to Harlequins.

"We're a professional footy team, we want to come through and we want to have some results here," Dixon said.

"We'll tighten our belts, work a bit harder and we've got to go to Wigan next week and look for a result there."

The Crusaders have been awarded a three-year Super League franchise, so relegation is not an issue for the Welsh side.

Salford City Reds were the other National League One side to be granted a place in Super League, but they have won twice so far this season.

We need to change that morale, we need to give ourselves a morale boost Celtic Crusaders coach John Dixon

One of those victories came against the Crusaders, but the Reds also took the scalp of Leeds at the weekend with their first win at Headingley in 32 years.

The task for the Crusaders is to prove to the Rugby League hierarchy and supporters that they also belong amongst the game's elite.

"Winning gives you really positive morale... and that's something we can't change, we can't change the results," Dixon said.

"We can only work within ourselves and work harder. We need to change that morale, we need to give ourselves a morale boost.

"Playing well and winning a couple of games of footy would certainly fix that."

The Crusaders' task will not get any easier with a trip to Wigan on Sunday.

However, the famous club are struggling this season by their own high standards, having won just three of 10 games in Super League.

And Dixon will be hoping to use that to his advantage.

"We have to grasp the nettle and when we go there and play, we probably won't in our mindset be playing against Wigan," he added.

"We will be playing against 17 players who like us are struggling at the wrong end of the table, but there is a far greater expectation on them than there is on us."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version