CLIVE GRIFFITHS wants the 36-6 defeat to Featherstone to provide the catalyst to North Wales Crusaders maintaining their Championship status.

A try from on-loan Widnes half-back Tom Gilmore helped cancel out Will Sharp's early effort to leave the game tied 6-6 at the interval.

But Featherstone improved beyond recognition to run in 30 unanswered points and take a deserved away victory.

Griffiths was disappointed, but believes the loss can teach his side a few important lessons.

"At 6-6 you expect more," said Griffiths, who refused to blame the absence of key players for the defeat.

"It is a harsh lesson, but if this defeat means we get a win next week and we stay in this league, then we will be fine.

"There is no panic yet, they are a good side, but we gave them some leg-ups.

"Even with one eye you wouldn't have put anything between the two sides at half time.

"It was a tale of two halves. We looked a top four team in the first-half and a bottom four team in the second-half.

"We came in at half time pretty buoyant after what they had thrown at us, but we knew the next 10 minutes were going to be important.

"Then we've shipped 30 points unanswered in the second-half. We went away from the script and we got hammered by penalties."

Forwards Ryan MacDonald and Lee Hudson have both gone out on one-month loan deals to London Skolars and Hemel Stags respectively.