Toulouse coach Sylvain Houles said today that his team will be at a disadvantage as they seek to maintain their bid for promotion to Super League.

The French club take on Salford tonight in the opening match of the final round of qualifiers that will determine the make-up of the top flight for 2019.

The game has been brought forward by Sky, who will also show the pivotal games at Leeds on Friday and London on Saturday before the Super 8s conclude at Hull KR on Sunday.

The contest is so close that even leaders Leeds are not mathematically safe from relegation while sixth-placed London could yet secure promotion without needing to resort to the Million-Pound Game.

Toulouse basically need a victory at Stadium Way to keep their hopes alive, but it is so tight that points difference could come into the equation and the clubs playing later in the round will have a clearer idea of their requirements.

It is a situation Toulouse are all too familiar with, for London went to Barrow in the last match of the regular Championship season knowing the size of victory they needed to overhaul Houles’s men in second place and earn an extra home game.

Houles said: “It’s good that we are playing in front of the Sky Sports cameras, but it’s the most important weekend for so many teams and it’s a little bit of a disadvantage to be playing first.

“Every other team will know what they have to do and we experienced that already after the first phase when London knew exactly how many points they needed to win by at Barrow to get second spot.

“That’s what happened and it’s the same case now.

“We just have to concentrate on our job and hope other teams fail under pressure and come up short.”

Salford are still in the mix after experiencing back-to-back defeats, most recently at the hands of London, and scrum-half Jackson Hastings has no problem with playing first as they seek to get the job done.

The Red Devils went through the agony of the Million-Pound Game two years ago and Hastings, who is coming to the end of his initial short-term contract, is desperate to help the club avoid a repeat.

“I don’t want to be anywhere near that game,” said Hastings, who missed the last two games through suspension but returns for what he hopes will be the last match of the season.

“It’s about your livelihood and nobody wants to be put under that pressure. It’s ridiculous to even think you should have to go through a game like that.

“The simple fact is that, if we win this week, we’re safe. We’ve just got to go out there and do whatever it takes to win.”

Toulouse will have an extra incentive to prolong their season, with long-serving captain Sebastien Planas due to retire at the end of it.

“It’s important to send Sebastien out on a high,” said Houles. “He’s been a part of the club so long and has been captain for the last five years.

“I thought the boys did terrifically against Hull KR to give him a good send-off at home and we need to finish the job and he needs to finish the job by taking us to Super League. It will be the best end to a special career.”