NRC Preview: Dewsbury v Leigh

Rams coach Warren Jowitt will give a late fitness test to Luke Menzies before finalising his squad for Wednesday’s crucial Northern Rail Cup clash with Leigh.

The hard-working prop did not travel to Toulouse after suffering a back injury but Jowitt will be keen to have him back in contention for Wednesday’s clash.

Dewsbury need a victory to boost their chances of qualification for the knockout stages but their preparation has been hampered by a nightmare trip to France that will see them land back in England on Tuesday afternoon.

Mike Morrison is set to return for the Centurions but Ricky Bibey will not be risked ahead of the weekend’s Carnegie Challenge Cup tie with Wath Brow Hornets.

Leigh assistant coach Paul Rowley said: “We were encouraged with how we got on against Barrow last week. It was two very strong sides and both teams will get better as the year goes on.”

Rowley pointed to the Centurions’ forward dominance as one of the most pleasing aspects of their display.

He said: “We dominated the middle very well and our dual-contracted players have proven themselves to be very good acquisitions.

“It’s going to cause us quite a few headaches because when we’ve got a fully fit squad there are going to be some very good players who miss out on selection.”