What is the betting for this game?
We quite possibly will have neither halfback.
God knows if Feka is fit or can play.
All this and Brexit .....

I think we could be on the verge of a stinking run.
Not sure whether to attend ... think we are asking for it.
But, it seems (as usual) an eternity since we saw any rugby, so will probably go.

Contributions?

Wow , what can one say to rival that.
Agree we haven't got our 1st choice half backs.
Hopefully Feka will be available .
Barrow not as good away from home & we have beat them once already.
Its going to be a nice day.
COYD

I predict a 24 all draw.

I predict SO will/will not turn up. Come on Brian even me and Glyn are going (first time for everything)

What's this "contributions" to pay for your ticket?



The bookies haven't got any prices for the weekend games yet.

Either Rochdale had an off day last week or Barrow are improving now it matters, probably the latter as Barrow were a man down for most of that game.

I think Jordon Howden is our key man. If he doesn't play I can't see where the creativity will come from. If he stays fit, I think he'll develop into a very good player indeed. I think I'd play Tom Carr at half-back as cover for Jordie Hedges, with Louis Sherriff at full-back.

We're going to have to seriously challenge Barrow up front. Hopefully Feka will play as he adds something extra.

I'm not quite as pessimistic as S/O but we will definitely need to step up our game over the coming weeks if we're to be serious promotion contenders.

The good news is that we only need to stay in the top five to reach the play-offs.

We'd need to get to third to get a home semi-final spot. Barrow are currently third (one point in front of us). If we lose to them on Sunday, it'll probably be hard for us to then make third place. Would we fancy our chances in an away trip to Barrow, York or Rochdale in the play-offs?

Sunday's game will probably tell us whether we should be looking up, or whether we should be getting worried about the sides below us catching us up.

The wheels would have to fall off at Rochdale for us to catch them as they're second at the moment. They're 5 points in front of us. The wheels may come off especially if they get no help from Warrington. We can't rule that possibility out. Rochdale are away to Skolars this weekend and home to Keighley next weekend.

If we lose to Barrow, I think we can forget about second spot.

Throughout the season, I've been of the opinion we're probably the fourth best team in the league. With the York situation adding more uncertainty to events, and Barrow improving, I'm still probably of the mind we're 4th best.

If we lose on Sunday, we certainly can't afford to slip up at Hunslet next weekend. Two consecutive losses could mean we'd be down in 7th place as Hunslet and Keighley are both two points behind us. They play each other this weekend. We've then got the Toulouse game at home. S/Os fear that we could be on the verge of a bad run would probably mean the bad run wouldn't end in this game.

All the games really matter now and no one can afford to slip up. This is what the season is all about. I'm looking forward to the game hoping we can secure the points but I don't rate our chances of winning to be much more than 50/50. It wouldn't surprise me if the bookies are giving us something like 4 points start.

Although I consider us under-dogs to go up, we really need to do it because next year means everyone will be playing for one promotion spot behind Toronto. Another season in this league, with the current format, will be too much for many of the fans to stomach.

We'd definitely have to club together to get S/O a ticket then!

I'm going now, barring unforseen circumstances.
I think the choir will need to give the lads a bit of support, it could make the difference.

Gary Thornton rates Barrow as the best side we have played. Our friends over in France won't agree.

It might be Carr and Kesik, if Howden doesn't turn out. Kesik can do it if he really sets his mind to it, particularly near their line, if we get there enough.
A brilliant kicking game is needed from Carr for territory, nearly every chance he gets.

I can see a win that way if the forwards drive the ball up properly and give us a bit of room for manoeuvre.

Otherwise, we lose ......

Got to make the better start.
Got to.

COYD

Note of pessimism ... I can't emphasise my annoyance about the Howden uncertainty.
If he breaks down, we ain't going up.

The sort of situation our brothers the Rovers tend to drop themselves in.

Wright & Carr is a possibility with Sheriff back to full back, well we will have an idea at 3pm on Friday .

COYD we can do it.

hi peeps, well its a LONG FOUR WEEKS since I watched my beloved Dons play a very poor team in the car park, Now we are at the important part of the season with crucial games I cant be there on Sunday because of the shoite fixture list (or non fixture list) but I will have my phone in hand keeping my eye on the scores. I too agree with the previous posts about lack of cover in the halves, (unless GT has a secret plan that we dont know about.) It seems very poor to me when we have one of the best full backs in our league (Tom Carr) playing out of position thus weakening the team. Sherrif is ok at full back but like S/O I fear the worst if we dont beat barrow at home. Anyway lets at least think positive and hope the lads do us proud. COYDS,

I too won't make this fixture, in fact I miss two home games due to prior commitments made when it was unknown what the fixtures would be. I understand why people get disillusioned with the game at this level.

Well the RFL in their search for excitement consider this a price worth paying.
What do fans matter?
And York for that matter ......

It is madness to have a fixture list based on chance.

just had a look on the Dons website to have a look at the team,, Shock, horror total supprise they have not bothered to list it yet. Why do I get the feeling I the "FAN" isnt important. Ive been sweet talking the wife all day into ending our weekend away early so I can get back in time to come to the match ! why should I bother.

Just going to post the same !

Why do we bother , I sometimes wonder .

Daren't ......?

so we haven't got a clue who might be in the squad and who might be playing, brilliant doesn't fill anybody with much confidence.

Dons ... the Forrest Gump of rugby ....
The Dons are like a box of chocolates .... etc

Squad not on Official RL Site either.
I do not know whose responsibility it is to put the squad on our site but have a good idea whose responsibility it is to put it on the RL site.
Its all about communication or lack of it !

Kesik , Foster, Feka & Carr should be available according to other sources.
COYD

No Jordon Howden on Sunday and Matt Nicholson is ruled out for the rest of the season. Not good news!

[urlhttp://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/doncaster-dons/doncaster-rlfc-v-barrow-raiders-dons-must-be-at-their-best-to-beat-barrow-thornton-1-8040500[/url

Betting for Sunday's game is interesting:

The Dons can be backed at evens with Bet365. They have Barrow at 5/6.

Barrow can be backed at 11/10 with Ladbrokes. They have the Dons at 8/11.

Due to the disagreements between bookies, on the handicap, you can back the Dons at 10/11 getting a two point start. You can also back Barrow at 10/11 getting a two point start.

I thought this game was about a 50/50 call before learning that Jordon Howden is out. As much as I don't like to say it I reckon the Dons are now slight underdogs. The bet on Barrow at 11/10 seems to be the smart bet.

Bet365 ... Dons + 2 10/11 or 11/10 for the win.

Skybet 10/11 both teams.

Without recognised half backs, I couldn't back us, even with 2 start.

We may scrape a win but I fully agree, with no recognised/established 6 & 7 Barrow should be favourites.

Barrow to win by 6

Big game from our forwards is required today & get on top of Barrow early doors.
We beat them with 1 short so we can do it again Dons by 7.

COYD & come on you fans get down & support the Boys.

The story with regards to Howden .... was .... it (his bad hip) was causing him discomfort, but that it was manageable with a bit if rest etc until something could be sorted out at the end of the season.

So why is he not turning out against Barrow?
He hasn't played for weeks now ... and IS rested!

All the time he doesn't play he loses vital match fitness and will be a shadow of himself when and if he does turn out.

My conclusion is that it is worse than it was painted and we are all but shafted.
When and if he does play it will be too late AND it is only gonna make the problem worse.

Big ,big mistake not sorting this out earlier ....

I could be wrong, but I recognise the smell of fish ....

It does have a bearing on me viewing next year, what with Toronto being allowed to do a Toulouse.
I am not watching any more rugby in this division after this season.
It's crap!

We seem to have landed ourselves in a mess with the Jorden Howden injury situation. Couple that with Jordie Hedges suspension for almost half of the rest of the season and we're in a right old mess.

I know we can't have superstars waiting in the wings should these things happen but I can't help thinking that we should have tried to make sure the DR with Hull gave us better cover if we needed it, given situations like this.

I really hope my pessimism for today's game is unfounded but there is a huge pressure on our forwards today to over-run Barrow. I read on the Barrow site that they're bringing a couple of supporters coaches down. It should make for a good atmosphere.

Not all of it is 'crap' S/O. Toulouse and York both dished up some top rugby yesterday, great entertainment. It's just a pity the spectacle was ruined by some very dubious reffing from Mr Miklauskas.

I think the quality amongst the top eight clubs is fairly decent. It's all the one-sided matches against the rest that spoil it. We've only seen two "proper games" at the Keepmoat this season when we played York and Barrow before. To say we're nearly into August, that's a poor return for fans.

The thought of more of the same next season isn't very inspiring. We really need to win today to help give us some belief that we can get out of this league for everyone's sake.