IN SWINDON Robins’ 70-year history, the club has made five top-flight Grand Final appearances – winning three of those in 1967, 2012 and 2017.

Only Wolverhampton Wolves can deny the Robins a sixth final appearance – and team manager Alun Rossiter has vowed to hit the Midlands side hard in tonight’s SGB Premiership semi-final first leg at the Abbey Stadium (7.30pm).

Rossiter’s comments follow the postponement of Monday’s original first leg staging at Monmore Green due to rain.

The postponement forced Swindon into hosting the semi-final’s first leg, with the return fixture at Wolverhampton set to take place on Monday, October 7.

Hosting the first leg means Rossiter is keen to establish a healthy lead ahead of the Robins’ trip to the Midlands next week – particularly given Wolves’ narrow 46-44 loss at the Abbey only two months ago.

Rossiter said: “We’ve got to be hungry and hit Wolverhampton hard.

“We’re more than capable of winning over the two legs but we’ve got to put our mark down at the Abbey in the first one.

“We need a good lead. Wolves have run us close at home before and have earned the points at Monmore this season.

“This is a fresh start now. We’ve got to make sure we are ready and up for the challenge.

“If we are not, we’re going nowhere.”

Swindon are unbeaten at home in 16 meetings ahead of tonight’s tie, while visiting Wolves have won three of their last eight fixtures on the road.

The Robins’ faultless home form made reaching this season’s play-offs possible as Rossiter’s septet ended their regular league campaign nine points clear of fifth-placed Belle Vue Aces.

Changes throughout the season have been necessary, but many were forced. Zach Wajtknecht stepped away from the sport, while Dawid Lampart’s Polish club Lublin pulled the plug on his UK commitments.

Rossiter added: “Changes have been for the better, that’s no disrespect to Zach and Dawid.

“Now we know those changes acted as a bit of a blessing in disguise.”

No concerns about the track were reported by Rossiter amid Hurricane Lorenzo’s anticipated arrival in the UK.

Rain has battered parts of Wiltshire, but a dry Wednesday was just what the club ordered to make preparing this evening’s surface an easier task.

“You can’t go by the forecast because it changes all the time,” said Rossiter.

“We have to go with what we’ve got. Some forecasts are good and some are bad. We need to get this meeting on.”