NRC Preview: Dewsbury v Keighley

Sunday 13th February – 3pm

Dewsbury Rams coach Warren Jowitt has been dealt a major blow after stand-off Pat Walker suffered a broken hand during last week’s 40-38 defeat in Toulouse.

Walker is now facing three months out. “It’s a big blow because he’s our main playmaker,” said Jowitt. “I’m now actively looking for a stand-off to provide cover.” Hooker Luke Blake could come back into the Rams’ side after training all week.

Jowitt said: “We let ourselves down defensively against Toulouse. We scored 38 points, so to not come away with a win is not great.”

On Keighley Cougars, Jowitt added: “They’ve got a new coach so they’ll play differently. I’m going to watch their DVD and break it down. Their pack hasn’t changed much, but they’ve got some new players and a new coach so it should be a very good test for us.”

Andy Shickell is Keighley’s only doubt, having suffered ankle and knee problems during the Cougars victory over Rochdale last week.

Keighley coach Jason Demetriou said: “I thought we did a lot of very good things in the game. Defensively we were excellent, and for a first competitive hit out it was a good start.”

However, the former Wakefield captain insists there is more to come. He added: “We showed that if we stick to the systems and execute them properly how simple the game can be. If the players are patient enough to stick to the systems for 80 minutes then we’ll do well.”