Club of the Week: Dewsbury
Dewsbury coach Glenn Morrison has set his sights on establishing the Rams as one of the strongest forces outside the sport’s top flight.
Originally founded in 1898 and championship winners in 1973, Dewsbury are one of rugby league’s most traditional and long-established clubs.
The two-time Challenge Cup winners, who were also involved in Wembley’s first Challenge Cup final when they lost 13-2 against Wigan in 1929, have been in the Kingstone Press Championship since earning promotion with a stunning campaign in 2009.
Then coached by Warren Jowitt, the Rams won 18 of their league fixtures that year and have since established themselves in the sport’s second tier.
Now Morrison wants to continue to make progress over the next few years.
Morrison said: “Finances is a big one, like it is for every club, but if there’s going to be a Super League One and a Super League Two, we want to be in that Super League Two and be a good force in it.
“We want to stay there – not be a team that’s up and down all the time – and we want to be a top end team in Super League Two in the medium term.”
Morrison is halfway through his first season as head coach, having retired from playing after spells at Bradford and Wakefield following a switch to the UK in 2007.
“I’ve enjoyed myself,” he says. “We’ve a good bunch of boys that all want to be there, train hard and play rugby. That’s the best thing but also the toughest thing, because a few people have to miss out every week.
“Man-management and keeping everyone happy is tough, but it’s not too hard when you’ve a good bunch of lads. Hopefully we can continue to push forward and make the top eight at the end of the year.
“From when I took over late last year and put the squad together at the last minute, we’ve done really well to be where we are this far into the competition.
“We’re starting to get a bit of confidence and we said it won’t be until next season when you see the best of us. If we can get a couple more players in, improve the squad a bit and have this year under our belt in terms of experience, I think we can do well in 2014.”
He adds: “Dewsbury is a great club. All the facilities are here and the terracing is nearly complete behind the sticks.
“Off the field the club is going forward, and we want to match that by continuing to go forward on the field as well.
“We’ve got a good relationship with Bradford, and we’ve had a couple of their youngsters come into the squad. I’m sure if we keep the partnerships going you’ll see even more benefit in the future.
“We’ve also got a really strong amateur scene, with Shaw Cross and Dewsbury Celtic being two big clubs nearby. We’ve kept our eye on both of those and had a couple of their lads come in and train with us.
“We’re in the heart of a really solid area for rugby league, and the future for the club is very, very good.”
To win tickets to Dewsbury’s next home Kingstone Press Championship match, against York on Sunday 14th July, click here.
Kingstone Press Cider has teamed up with LoveRugbyLeague to celebrate all things great about the rugby league Championships. For the rest of the season, ‘Championing the Championships’ campaign will put a weekly spotlight on each Championship and Championship 1 club to focus on their most memorable moments, look back at the clubs heroes and reward the loyal fans. Read more.
