I would guess that we are hard to evaluate ... rubbish at Hunslet, York and Keighley ... world beaters at Featherstone.

Dons v Eagles South Yorkshire Derby Preview

Doncaster RLFC play their biggest game of the season on Friday night when they take on local rivals Sheffield Eagles in the semi-final of the Northern Rail Cup at the Doncaster Athletics Stadium (7:30pm kick-off).

The winners of the tie will take on Leigh Centurions who booked their place in the final with a 23-6 victory at Batley on Thursday night. The final of the Northern Rail Cup is to be held on Saturday 20th July at The Shay, Halifax.

Winger Dennis Tuffour is a major doubt again with a hamstring strain, and his loan replacement, Featherstone Rovers player Dave Scott, is ineligible. Dons' skipper Kyle Kesik is still out with a knee injury and Kyle Trout has been cleared to play after passing his head test.

Chris Spurr is back in contention for a place in the seventeen after recovering from illness and Mike Kelly has been declared fit once again after missing the last two games. Mick Butterfield, who hasn't played for over a month, has been recalled to Tony Miller's squad.

Head coach Miller acknowledges that his team are outsiders, but says they shouldn't be ruled out. He said: "They are probably the form team at the moment - we go into the game as underdogs and rightly so.

"But it's a cup game, and we've shown that if we get it right we can come up with results against the big teams.

"We had five or six players that didn't perform at Keighley last week and let themselves down a bit.

"I was disappointed with our forwards in the second half, but they've been good for the majority of the season and I'm hoping for a good response from them."

Sheffield Eagles head coach Mark Aston says Friday night's semi-final provides a massive shot in the arm for rugby league in South Yorkshire.

Aston said: "It's a massive game and one that puts South Yorkshire back on the map.

"It's a shame that this isn't the final, but what it does mean is that one of us will be there now.

"It's huge, to say the troubles that both clubs have gone through in past years, and shows what has been achieved.

"Doncaster are a very good team that had a great win at Featherstone recently, and not many teams win there.

"They had a bit of a smack in the chops at Keighley last week, but I'm sure that will have refocused them. It's going to be a tough game."

Sheffield, who currently top the Kingstone Press Championship table, have a fully fit squad available for the match.

It promises to be cracking 80 minutes of top quality rugby league in the South Yorkshire Derby so make sure you don't miss out and cheer on the Dons.

COYD

Match Day Sponsors:

Centurion (Europe) Ltd, Kiwi Promotions and Warpaint Cosmetics. The club would like to thank our sponsors for their kind and continued support.

Previous Five Meetings:

29th March 2013: Sheffield win 32-26 at Don Valley Stadium
26th February 2012: Sheffield Eagles win 56-12 at Keepmoat Stadium
28th June 2009: Sheffield Eagles win 78-8 at Keepmoat Stadium
9th April 2009: Doncaster RLFC win 23-22 at Don Valley Stadium
1st July 2007: Sheffield Eagles win 32-20 at Keepmoat Stadium

Match Day Admission:

Polite notice: please purchase your match day ticket from the stadium's ticket office before entering the athletics stadium.

Match day tickets will remain on sale at the Keepmoat ticket office until 5:30pm on Friday. Tickets will then be available to purchase at the West Stand main reception, which is located near the athletics stadium entrance.

Match day ticket prices: adults £12, concessions £8, juniors (5-16) £3 and under 5's go free. Call the ticket office on 01302 762576 if you require more information. The gates will open at 6:30pm.

Referee:

C Leatherbarrow

Well it's wet ...Yere will be fancying his chances of sliding in from 10 metres out.
It's due to dry up is it?

That's Tom Armstrong's specialty!

Do we think there will be more people watching the game from inside or outside the ground?

PS I'll be in the press box, not guilty your honour!

Anyone outside will be viewed upon as mildly cretinous

Anyone who watched from outside is a cheapskate.

We live in Yorkshire - a county hardly renowned for people spending money they don't need to spend!

You're joking I presume.

I'll be behind the sticks with a camera, so I'm not guilty either.

Hardly - he ended up an inch short.

Not at Hunslet

4-22 at half time.
P'ss poor.
If they score first I'm off.

Effort was there , but seemed devoid of ideas . officials didn't help.

I didn't think it was that bad, but they're just beter than us and so what, they're the reigning champion and league leaders after all? In this competition last year hey out nearly 80 past us.

Cookie could be a massive blow, although he did walk off after the match so hopefully not too bad. On the radio, when Cookie went down, Kes said "Looks like ill be fit next week now"

The simple fact of the matter is that Sheffield has four special players, none of which are domestic, and those same players won the game, and for that matter probably most of the Eagles wins.
If we don't get some special players soon .... I'm off for good!!!!!!!!!
If we don't show some balls against Leigh then I think I'm off early, can't be d waiting for exciting players, we haven't had any for ten years.
They ain't coming!

Pretty much sick of crap efforts like this one.

you'll be back.

You're probably right.
But I am very close to packing this nonsense in, simply because I can't see where we are going apart from backwards.

Corey Lawrie, Luke Gale, Kyle Briggs? Its 5 years since they left



Although, by my accounts, the last Kiwi to play for us, Jarryn Osbourne was a bit poo.

I'm exaggerating for effect you understand.
Mainly because I am annoyed.
lol

Even they weren't exciting.

We were beaten by the top side in the league .
Poor discipline kept giving them (Sheffield ) a helping hand. Thought Matt Carbutt had a good game .

I picked out Matt Carbutt too.

I thought Carbutt had his best game for a long time.

I'm puzzled, who are the FOUR non-domestic players?

I've see some very good players over the years but I hope you will agree that it takes at least 15 to perform on any one day, and a squad of 25 or more to contribute long enough to win a cup or league.

Technically we don't have any quota players.

I'm guessing he means QLT, Yere and Taulapapa, then it could be anyone of our 'Scottish' contingent Henderson, Szostak or Stringer