Thornton On Hunslet Cup Test

[Dons News]

Doncaster Rugby League head coach Gary Thornton spoke to the official website ahead of Friday’s Ladbrokes Challenge Cup clash with Hunslet Hawks.

The Dons are looking to extend their winning run to five matches in West Yorkshire at the John Charles Stadium.

Thornton admitted Hunslet is a difficult place to go and his side will have to be at their best to progress in the competition.

“It is a short turnaround for us Sunday to Friday so obviously it is going to be tough on the boys, but I think we have enough strength and depth,” said Thornton.

“We have a few injuries that we picked up on Sunday and we won’t have any players from Hull on dual registration, but hopefully the boys that come in will do a job for us.

“We are building towards the York game, we have players coming back from injury this week and they have an opportunity to impress and we are nearly up to 100% fitness now on most of the players.

“Ben Frankland is back, Joe Pickets-O’Donnell is back and Mike Kelly, so that is good news for us, they will play against Hunslet and push for a place next week.

“Hunslet is always a tough place to go, it is a small, narrow pitch, we like to play expansive rugby so it will be a bit of a change of tactics for us this week.

“They have had a tough start away at Rochdale and Barrow and have two defeats, but I hope people don’t think that it is going to be an easy game because it is not going to be.

“Those fixtures are a very tough start  to a league campaign against  two clubs who are going  to be there or thereabouts at the top end of the table at the end of the season.

“I think the league table belies where Hunslet are at the minute, I think they will get better and they put 40 points past Barrow in the last round of the Challenge Cup, so we know it will be a very tough game.

“We are well prepared, we want to get through to the next round.  In an ideal world we’d like a big draw at the Keepmoat against a Super League side, but first and foremost we have to go to Hunslet and beat them on Friday first.”

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