Salford hooker Andy Ackers reckons his side are only playing at half their capacity.
Given they have still won their last two fixtures against Leigh and Castleford, it shows how much more potential they have. But Paul Rowley’s team will need to raise their game further when they host Catalans on Sunday. England international Ackers, 29, insisted: “We still think there’s an extra 40 to 50 percent in us.
“There’s been some games where we’ve been really good and some pretty bad. Some we’ve been poor in but still won. That shows what sort of team and character we are. If we play longer percentages of games, we’ll see more wins come our way. We’ve not gone three on the bounce yet - or performed for the full 80 - so that’s something we’re looking to do against Catalans.
“The character is in the team. We just need to be switched on more. But Catalans will come out firing. We have to match that intensity.”
The French club are in need of a performance themselves having slipped up in their last two games against leaders Warrington and Huddersfield. Ackers is well aware of one of their main players - Michael McIlorum. He got to know the experienced ex-Wigan hooker, 35, well while on England duty together at last year’s World Cup.
Ackers, hoping for a sixth win that will see his side draw level with Catalans in fourth, said: “Micky’s really good. He’s a gentleman, a really funny character who I got on really well with. He’s someone I looked up to and watched for years so to be in the same team as him was great. I still speak to him now and we have weekly texts to keep in touch. He’s a big influence on Catalans.”
Ackers hopes to be facing French opposition two weeks running given he’s in the initial 40-man England squad preparing to face France in Warrington on Saturday.
He played second fiddle to McIllorum at the World Cup but the Catalans player - now 35 - hasn’t been included this time around so Ackers could start. He said: “I'm hoping to be involved. It’s always an honour and a real blessing to be named in any England side.”
