IAN BLEASE has escaped a ban and is free to help Swinton Lions finish the season in style.

Prop forward Blease got himself into hot water and had to appear before the Rugby League's disciplinary committee, but Lions chief executive Tony Barrow said: "We managed to talk them round.

"We thought Ian might have been heading for a ban after his sending off, but he's OK and he will be in the side at Rochdale on Sunday."

The Lions boast a clean bill of health for the game at Spotland and, although there is nothing but pride for coach Mike Gregory's men to play for now, Barrow is prediciting a bright future. "Games against Rochdale are alway really hard. It's a local derby, but we have got a good side out, we are starting to come good now and we are playing some great stuff."

Loose forward Paul Barrow contiues to play on despite a nagging hernia problem. Pain killers are keeping him in action at the moment, but he faces an operation in the close season.

While a top five play-off place is out of the question for the Lions, Barrow enthuses: "We are aiming to finish as high as we can. We have some attractive games in our remaining fixtures against the likes of Barrow and Widnes and if we can win four out of five we will be over the moon.

"We have a good coach here in Mike Gregory. He's not been here long, but he has done really well for us and I think we can go a long way."

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