Dewsbury’s shock defeat at the hands of newly promoted Oldham shows just what an open division the championship is and will continue to be in 2016. The Rams welcome Whitehaven to the Tetley’s Stadium after James Coyle’s men didn’t play last weekend as their fixture against Featherstone was postponed due to unfit pitch after a week of constant rain in West Cumbria.
Glen Morrison’s men fell to their first defeat of the season against the Roughyeds at Bower Field in a game that was over at half time as the Roughyeds were 22-0 up at the break. Morrison’s men put up more of a fight in the second half as it was 16 all in the second forty minutes but that couldn’t stop them falling to their first defeat of the campaign.
James Coyle have added to their squad since their last hit out as they signed ex-Wigan academy star Rhys Pugsley on a deal to the end of the season. Pugsley was on the verge of making his first team debut two years ago. But two days before he was hit with the news he had been caught taking performance enhancing drugs and was slapped with a two year ban which ends on 14th may. He can train with his new club from mid-march so Coyle got him on board quickly and although he cannot make his debut for another two months the club will be hoping he will be a star when he does. The also have the return of Scott McAvoy after an operation in the off-season and welcome Craig Calvert back for possibly his first appearance of the season.
Predicition – Dewsbury by 8
Dewsbury’s 19 man squad – L.Adamson, T.Adamson, Brown, Crookes, B.Delaney, Grady, Grant, Groat, Guzdek, Hale, Hemingway, Hepworth, Kain, Morton, Muranka, Sykes, Teanby, Tonks, Wright
Whitehaven’s 19 man squad – Jouffret, Miller, Calvert, Parker, McAvoy, Aiye, Gore, Brooks, Taylor, Allen, Davies, Riley, Carberry, Brocklebank, Tagayuna, Chamberlain, T. Chapelhow, J. Chapelhow
