Rams bid to shock high flying Rovers

Adam Ryder scored two tries in Dewsburys 32-12 Championship Shield victory over Barrow Raiders last Sunday. Picture: Paul Butterfield

Featherstone and Leigh were already guaranteed to contest the Shield final before a round was played but are fighting to see who will finish top and have home advantage for the season finale.

Rovers currently hold a two-point lead over Leigh, who Neil Kelly’s men entertain in the final round on September 30.

Dewsbury themselves are in form and have won three of their opening four Shield fixtures, the latest of which was a 32-12 success at home to Barrow last Sunday.

Kelly has been impressed with the way his side have improved in the Shield and admitted they played some decent attacking rugby to run in six tries against Barrow.

Kelly said: “At times we were superb, we had a try disallowed and in that move we played with some fantastic hands.

“We are a bit disappointed that one got chalked off but the tries just after half-time were very slick. People getting forward and supporting the ball. That was really positive, we were also tough when we needed to be, you need to do that against Barrow.

“I thought sometimes we over complicated things. Once we got that out of our system that’s when we scored the points. Unfortunately we then slipped back into over complicating things again. That way of playing won’t be affective against Featherstone, Rochdale and Leigh in the last three games.”

The win leaves Dewsbury fourth in the Shield standings and eighth in the overall Championship table.

The Rams are three points above Sheffield and three behind third placed Batley Bulldogs with a larger prize fund on offer the higher a team finishes at the end of the season.

Kelly added: “I think Barrow are doing it tough themselves at the moment. They have done well to come down here and give it a good go. They came with a game plan, I don’t think it was to play tough and knock us off our game they were just trying to play their normal game.

“We had a bit of a chat at half-time and gave ourselves a kick up the backside. To go out from the re-start and catch the ball in the in behind goal area. We then had a couple of sets and scored a try, it was the perfect start to the second half.”