THERE is always talk about picking up players both mentally and physically for your next game after a big occasion but, despite the disappointment of losing 50-12 to Huddersfield in Sunday's Challenge Cup quarter-final, I think my job, in that respect, has been made easier for a number of reasons.

Some people might argue it is not the ideal time to have a midweek game but the team's performance in the second half at the McAlpine Stadium should make the players realise that if they had started in that manner then the score could have been more closer than 50-12. They should generate a lot of confidence from that.

The rapturous reception from the fans during the warm-up and the match at Huddersfield and at the White Bear pub in Leeds afterwards should also have an influence tonight.

I have said repeatedly in this column how good our supporters are but they seem to be getting better by the week.

We were playing a Super League team on Sunday but I feel we had the Super League fans. The McAlpine is a marvellous stadium and, even though there was only 4,500 in a 20,000 ground, our supporters certainly helped to create a cracking atmosphere.

I also think that having tonight's game at Bootham Crescent will provide another lift. It's a lovely, wide field to play on and it's something for the boys to look forward to.

A midweek home game with Gateshead in the Arriva Trains Cup does not normally capture the imagination but playing it at Bootham will give it that little bit more excitement and I think it was very smart of the club to take it there.

Our preparation will also be different in the next two weeks as we have got an Arriva Trains Cup game on Good Friday before the National League Two season starts on Easter Monday.

We did not have our normal Tuesday night session last night when we normally have an in-depth look at Sunday's match video. We did not feel that was necessary because of the time factor with Wednesday's game and also because we will not be playing Huddersfield again this season. Instead, we will just make one or two individual points about the match.

On Thursday, we have arranged for some masseurs who are doing a sports fitness course at college to come in and practice on the lads because I imagine they might be a bit sore after our hectic schedule.

Gateshead, meanwhile, will come here having not played for ten days but you can sometimes read too much into that. They have had a good rest but playing regularly helps as well.

Back to the Challenge Cup and although our run is now over I think the competition will still be an intriguing one this year. In terms of possible winners, it is pretty tough to look beyond St Helens but Wigan will not be a pushover despite everybody constantly saying they are not as good as they used to be.

But how about Warrington for a bit of a surprise? They are riding on the crest of a wave, having moved to a new stadium and with the coach, Paul Cullen, doing well. They seem to have started off this season the way they ended the last and there's a good sense of momentum there that could take them all the way to the final.

As for Huddersfield, you would have to think that after the touch-up we gave them that they would be outsiders.

Updated: 08:53 Wednesday, March 31, 2004