A distraction from the rollercoaster ride which is the 2019 league season as the Dons travel over the pennines to face Oldham and quite possibly recent dual registration teammate Danny Langtree.

The 1895 Cup offers Championship and League One Clubs a route to a Wembley Final on the same day as the Challenge Cup Final and both teams will be hopeful of a place in the draw for the quarter finals.

The injuries suffered by Keiran Cross last Sunday must be devastating for a player making his return from injury and hopefully Keiran will start to get much better luck going forward. The Dons will miss him but a further opportunity is presented to Callum Ogden.

Brad England was also withdrawn against West Wales Raiders but will hopefully be fit for this fixture.

Previous Round:
Oldham 48 Whitehaven 12
Doncaster 70 West Wales Raiders 6

Bye bye 1895 Cup ...

The positive way to look at it would be that we're three wins away from Wembley.

Batley are playing Rochdale and Dewsbury are playing Swinton in the last 16. There could be a 'softer tie' awaiting in the last eight. There are two other Championship One sides left in the competition: Workington and Newcastle.

We got to the Northern Rail cup final when we were in this division but it must be said we were top of the league then! We lost in the final to Salford. I think it was 56-0. The Northern Rail train that took us to Blackpool broke down. There was some irony there!



Attitude, discipline and self-belief are critical in any sport but now is the time for Richard Horne to instill this into his players and get the best out of them. No game played between two teams from our league is beyond anyone (except W Wales).

If we get thumped this weekend, spirits won't be high for the league game next week. If we win in the league, then the league will seemingly take a different shape altogether. We'd only be two points behind Oldham.

Regarding the league, teams have one game left before we're halfway through the season. I tend to put more emphasis on points difference than league table points when judging how good teams are. This is how it stands at the moment:

Oldham +158
Hunslet +94
Newcastle +94
Whitehaven +79 (Not played Coventry)
Dons +50
N Wales +21
Keighley +12
Workington +0 (Not played W Wales)
London -45
Coventry -87
W Wales -376

Oldham look best. This puts into perspective the challenge we face in our next two games.

London are interesting. They lost 34-4 to Oldham, they lost 48-12 to Newcastle, and 32-6 to Whitehaven. They might not be as good as their second placed league position suggests. Could they fade away in the second half of the season? Workington should get a 'points difference boost' when they play W Wales.

There's clearly still everything to play for and a top five position isn't beyond the Dons but I suspect we're going to have to up our game to get there based on what the above numbers are telling us at the moment.

Personally, I'm not too bothered about the cup game - getting out of that with no more injuries would be a good result.

What happens in the home game against Oldham won't define our season but it could go some way towards shaping it as we might have to beat them in the play-offs later in the season, if we get there.

An interesting review DM, I like your way of thinking.

I posted on the Facebook page a while ago, wondering if a team (Skolars) had ever been sitting in second position before but with a negative points difference.

It drew no interest or comment whatsoever!!

I guess it must be me...

We thought it was rhetorical ...
And since none of us could think of another case, it was left.

Danny Langtree is doubtful for Oldham....

[urlhttps://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/danny-langtree-injury-doubt-for-oldham/[/url

I hope Brad England is for us

The big battle is the week after ( as if we did not know)

I'd quite happily go out this cup now, if we get any further we have mid week games between league weekends and our squad and injuries could do with out that.

A good showing, no injuries and a win next week

Levy Nzoungou has been banned by the RFL for two matches after an incident on 23rd May in a Hull FC reserves game against Wakefield.

Bare bones, no rest this weekend. https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sp ... -1-9795996

Bare bones, no rest this weekend. https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sp ... -1-9795996

Decent enough squad. If Cameron Scott is genuinely available then great with no Bower. Thought Nzongou was banned. Seems not. I'd like to see Bastas play this one. Possibly Lawton too but not sure where. I suspect they've named 19 knowing that 2 aren't fit.
Douglas or Spiers starting 2nd row? Possible

Yere probably . What has happened to Ryan Dixon ?

I thought he was still injured, Paul. Not sure though.

Nzoungou is banned for two games according to the RFL. Maybe the bans don't apply to this cup competition? Maybe the ban only applies to the Reserve Championship?

From the RFL website:

Levy Nzoungou - Hull FC
Wakefield v Hull - Reserves Championship
Range of Recommended Sanctions in relation to Charged Grade* :

2 Match Penalty Notice
Details of Charge / Reason for NF :

Rule – 15.1(i) Detail – Defender uses any part of his body forcefully to twist, bend or otherwise apply pressure to the limb or limbs of an opposing player in a way that involves an unacceptable risk of injury to that player. Grade – C
Decision:

Charge
Incident:

Dangerous Contact in the 3rd minute (Caine)

Postscript: Maybe the decision on this case has not yet been reached. Many similar cases listed by the RFL have details of the verdict - not so in this case.

Full squad for Sunday:

Stefanos Bastas, Matty Beharrell, Watson Boas (Loan), Ryan Boyle, Matthew Chrimes, Sam Doherty, Brandon Douglas, Brad Foster, Jordan Howden, Jordie Hedges, Kyle Kesik, Kieron Lawton, Levy Nzoungou (D/R), Callum Ogden, Cameron Scott (D/R), Connor Scott, Russ Spiers, Jason Tali, Menzie Yere (Loan)

Connor Wynne is playing for Hull under 19s today. Seems strange Horne hasn’t decided to pick him for us

It wouldn't make any difference to us getting stuffed ...
Past caring about what RH does.

Dons +12 10/11 with Bet365.

A Dons win is 10/3.

Not sure we can read too much into today's game. It has a similar feel to the Workington scenario at the end of last season when we played them two weeks running. The first was a 'warm up', the second match was the one that mattered.

DONS XIII | Howden, Doherty, Scott, Tali, Chrimes, Boas, Beharrell, Spiers, Kesik, Boyle, Yere, Foster, Nzoungou.

INTERCHANGE | Hedges, Douglas, Bastas, Ogden. #COYD

Pretty obvious selection bar the absence of Connor Scott. This is why I suggested Spiers or Douglas for 2nd row. Could see we were light there and considered the aforementioned capable. I see Jordie filling in the bench back row spot therefore. Possibly a more versatile squad than I'd have picked then so no complaints.

I'm confused by the way we keep including DR players in the 19-man squad and they then don't play: Jez Litten recently and now Cameron Scott. Baffling!

Erm. DM. You DO realise Connor Scotts not playing centre?

I may be wrong. Not specified which Scott to be fair

You're probably right, Rob. It could be Cameron Scott and not Connor Scott.