HE may be Kendal’s leading try-scorer but flanker Garry Holmes is not interested in personal glory, preferring instead to point to the pack mentality.

The 29-year-old forward scored the Black and Ambers’ opening try in their 26-19 success over Leigh on Saturday – his 18th touchdown of a productive season.

And with five wins from their last six fixtures, Holmes believes victory this weekend at Liverpool St. Helens will stand Kendal in good stead in their pursuit of Widnes.

“It’s the pack more than anything,” he said. “I’m the lucky guy who gets to stand at the back behind some very powerful lads.

“Richard Harryman, Reece Tomlinson, Liam Hayton, Billy Coxon and the rest do all the work for me – I’m the fortunate one who gets to drop over the line.

“But if we all do our individual jobs correctly then in theory I should be picking up a couple of tries if we get over the line. But I do feel in good form at the minute and I’m enjoying my rugby.

“It’s important to pick up a win on Saturday which would be massive as we build for the remainder of the season. Taking that third place is a goal we have set ourselves as a squad.”

While Kendal’s performance against Leigh was solid if unspectacular, Holmes insists the overriding priority was victory, something which may have eluded the Mint Bridge side in years gone by.

“It was one of those where we just had to get over the line,” he added.
“The Kirkby game didn’t go how we wanted it to and over the last few years there has always been a bit of a hangover from losing derby games.

“So I think it shows the squad has changed – we can go out and win a game after a huge disappointment.

“And the Leigh game was certainly a potential banana skin. Quite often at Kendal over the years we have played to the level of the teams we play.

“Against the big boys we pull out big performances but against struggling teams we tend to take our foot off the gas. It was a case of picking up a win, even if it was an ugly one.”