THE last couple of weeks have been very frustrating with me not being selected.

It’s been a bit of a shock to the system, sat there watching games from the stands.

It’s not nice and it affects people around and your family when you have to go home and tell them you’re not playing.

It has made me realise how much I really appreciate playing, which is something I normally take for granted.

It is something I have not been used to throughout my career with Bradford, Hull FC and St Helens.

With us normally playing on a Sunday afternoon, Franny will go round and tell most people on the Friday when you’re doing your power-weights in the gym.

He will pick you out and talk you through it but we’re all a team like I’ve said plenty of times before.

I’m just a part of that team and this group of players who are trying to achieve something.

The news of the points deduction being upheld was obviously a major blow and makes the game against Salford even bigger.

You can’t really play it down and say ‘if we lose it’s not the end of the season’, but I’m a realist and I’d be lieing if I didn’t say how big it is.

Salford are not in a great run of form either. I follow Marwan Koukash on Twitter and he’s always kicking off.

He’s a multimillionaire racehorse owner and I have seen him at Haydock Racecourse a few times as I’m a racing fan myself.

I know Koukash has been beating his chest about the drop in crowds and they have not been getting the backing he thought they might get.

It’s going to be a massive clash of two teams both fighting for survival and wanting to stay up.

There was talk of Salford winning the competition at the start of the year but it has not worked out that way.

We need to see it as an opportunity to give ourselves a chance of keeping in touch with the teams just above us.

Hopefully I get the chance to perform because I’m ready to go.