Dewsbury Rams v Whitehaven RLFC 22nd June, KO: 15:00

[horbury ram]

Officials for Sunday

• Referee: D. Arnold
• Reserve Referee: J. Woolass
• Touch Judge 1: I. Arnold
• Touch Judge 2: T. Topping-higson

[Wakefield Ram]

Given we managed an away draw despite giving away 18 penalties, on paper we should be capable of winning this one. 

Hopefully we will throw the ball about more like we did towards the end of the Goole game and who knows we might even put an attacking kick in the opposition 20...

Either way, this is a must win if we want any chance of the play-offs. We have the players. 

[Crown Flatter]

11 hours ago, Wakefield Ram said:

Given we managed an away draw despite giving away 18 penalties, on paper we should be capable of winning this one. 

Hopefully we will throw the ball about more like we did towards the end of the Goole game and who knows we might even put an attacking kick in the opposition 20...

Either way, this is a must win if we want any chance of the play-offs. We have the players. 

We should be, but after last Friday’s débâcle, I’m not so sure.

[Wakefield Ram]

6 hours ago, Crown Flatter said:

We should be, but after last Friday’s débâcle, I’m not so sure.

Neither am I.

[NickD]

12 hours ago, Crown Flatter said:

We should be, but after last Friday’s débâcle, I’m not so sure.

Ditto

[STEVE P]

On 18/06/2025 at 08:16, Crown Flatter said:

We should be, but after last Friday’s débâcle, I’m not so sure.

Haven't we finished building the fortress yet then?

That's a shame. 

[Blind side johnny]

Whitehaven come on the back of a good run of results so shouldn't be underestimated. This league is quite competitive with pretty well anyone capable of beating anyone else, with the exception of Newcastle. I just hope that we are more fired up and focussed this week, and have practiced catching the ball.

The weather is sure to have an impact so our fitter, lithe and graceful players should have an advantage over those who have had a long hot bus journey.

I predict a win.

[Wakefield Ram]

No Will Shaw who played well last week or Sam Day. Does this mean 80 mins for McShane or does Harvey Roberts play hooker?

Given the hot weather forecast, McShane won't be able to play 80 mins.

If that's the plan, then hard to see a win. 

Edited June 20 by Wakefield Ram

[Crown Flatter]

I see that Louie Walker is included in the squad and if he plays, Hookem could revert to his old position if necessary.

This fixture could prove difficult for us if we don’t show a vast improvement from last week and I suspect that we will fall short come the final whistle.

Dewsbury 16-25 Whitehaven 

FTS: Copland

MoM: Craig McShane

 Att: 643

[Crown Flatter]

No place for Delaney in today’s line-up with Keenen taking his place and Dan Coates returns at S/O. 

[Wakefield Ram]

On 20/06/2025 at 22:18, Wakefield Ram said:

No Will Shaw who played well last week or Sam Day. Does this mean 80 mins for McShane or does Harvey Roberts play hooker?

Given the hot weather forecast, McShane won't be able to play 80 mins.

If that's the plan, then hard to see a win. 

So 80 minutes for McShane. He needs to start running and showing some variation at acting half otherwise it's just too easy to defend against.

Out best field kicker and goal kicker Paul Sykes on the bench. Dan Coates back and Hookem still in the side despite given away needless penalties and weak defensively last week. Expect Whitehaven to attack down his side most of the time. 

But the big question is will we manage to put a kick in the opposition 20? The most basic easy and effective tactic in RL used by every team in pro RL except one......

Hoping for a win, but expecting just more of the same that we saw against Goole and Rochdale. 

[SUPERSTUD]

Abroad listening on Hospital radio. That first half performance does not sound good.

[SUPERSTUD]

51 minutes ago, SUPERSTUD said:

Abroad listening on Hospital radio. That first half performance does not sound good.

Better second half although offensive plays and decisions sounded clunky. Penalties a concern again also. Think Sykes got about seven minutes came on win bonus

[Reverend Ram]

So I slunk away from the Goole match thoroughly deflated and couldn’t find the will or energy to comment, with the comfort that I would be away for the ‘Haven game on holiday- lo and behold the Dr Jekyll side of the Rams are again extant- what happened today then? Not that I’m complaining…,

[Ackroman]

First half, same as last week but against a poorer team. Second half Haven went missing and Dewsbury turned on the style....but they took their time to dominate the game. Some great tries too.

[Wakefield Ram]

1 hour ago, Reverend Ram said:

So I slunk away from the Goole match thoroughly deflated and couldn’t find the will or energy to comment, with the comfort that I would be away for the ‘Haven game on holiday- lo and behold the Dr Jekyll side of the Rams are again extant- what happened today then? Not that I’m complaining…,

The first half was as bad as the Goole game. Errors, penalties, conceding two soft tries one right on half time again. The only plus was Jordan and Senior got a few more running opportunities. Think they're two of the best centres in L1.

First 20 of the 2nd was pretty much the same just Whitehaven started making as many errors as we did.

Turning point was 68th minutes 10-14 down and Whitehaven with an overlap near our line throw an interception and we scored off the next play. Had Copland missed the interception Whitehaven would have scored and probably won the game. 

Once we were ahead, the players seemed fired up and we scored a couple of tries at the death.

But all the same problems, still no kicking game in opposition 20 (though Coates tried a couple of poor grubbers) nothing from acting half, too many errors and needless penalties. Just we had the bounce of the ball today and Whitehaven weren't quite good enough to take advantage of the chances we gifted them. And pointless use of Sykes sending him on for 10 minutes at the end.

But it's a win, hopefully this will give the team some confidence but they need to improve to have any chance of top 4. 

Think Summers needs to up his work rate of attack and defence. McShane put a mammoth stint in defence.  Tomlinson was excellent and at half-time, he kept the team on the pitch for a "pep talk" for a few minutes.

Edited June 22 by Wakefield Ram

[horbury ram]

For me copland mom be a mile , ran hard, try and an interception which lead to an important try, a winger who contributes to game play as a whole and given an opportunity will look to score 

[Commentator]

3 hours ago, SUPERSTUD said:

Better second half although offensive plays and decisions sounded clunky. Penalties a concern again also. Think Sykes got about seven minutes came on win bonus

Glad to hear you tuned in, remember if you are on holiday you don't have to miss the match, you can listen in from anywhere in the world on www.hwdhospitalradio.com - It's just like being there  

[Crown Flatter]

I think for around 60 minutes our play was worse than that against Goole and considered we were lucky to be behind by only 14-4 at half time, even though we had a couple touchdowns refused because we knocked on. We are probably top of the league for knocking on, although there was none of the dropping the high ball just little ones in the tackle and we are past masters of conceding around half time.

In the second half we managed to grab a try about twenty minutes in and that seemed to embolden the team and our bigger forwards barged (as last week) against theirs, wore them down and we started to throw some passes out wide enabling Jordan to score two tries. 22-14 up and ‘Haven appeared to get second wind and pressed our line a time or two, but too many errors by them and our defence scuppered their chances. I think if they had scored, to make it 22-20, things might have been different. Instead we capitalised on their errors and Coates sent in Garside to rub salt into ‘Haven’s wounds. I don’t know why Coates passed to his captain as he could easily have scored himself, not that I am complaining.

Some supporters questioned the officials’ abilities and there were errors, one such was an offside which went unpunished when a Dewsbury player tried an unnecessary grubber, which rebounded off an opponent and picked up by his teammate who was in front of him.

It’s a pity we left it so late to open up as I’m sure we could have gone on to increase our score, but time was up.

We still lost the penalty count, which I made around 4-9.

[Commentator]

7 minutes ago, horbury ram said:

For me copland mom be a mile , ran hard, try and an interception which lead to an important try, a winger who contributes to game play as a whole and given an opportunity will look to score 

We gave it to him too on Hospital Radio, Copeland was working everywhere!

 

[Crown Flatter]

4 minutes ago, Commentator said:

Glad to hear you tuned in, remember if you are on holiday you don't have to miss the match, you can listen in from anywhere in the world on www.hwdhospitalradio.com - It's just like being there  

I tune in when I’m away and plan to do so again this year, although I wish away games were also featured.

[Blind side johnny]

49 minutes ago, Wakefield Ram said:

The first half was as bad as the Goole game. Errors, penalties, conceding two soft tries one right on half time again. The only plus was Jordan and Senior got a few more running opportunities. Think they're two of the best centres in L1.

First 20 of the 2nd was pretty much the same just Whitehaven started making as many errors as we did.

Turning point was 68th minutes 10-14 down and Whitehaven with an overlap near our line throw an interception and we scored off the next play. Had Copland missed the interception Whitehaven would have scored and probably won the game. 

Once we were ahead, the players seemed fired up and we scored a couple of tries at the death.

But all the same problems, still no kicking game in opposition 20 (though Coates tried a couple of poor grubbers) nothing from acting half, too many errors and needless penalties. Just we had the bounce of the ball today and Whitehaven weren't quite good enough to take advantage of the chances we gifted them. And pointless use of Sykes sending him on for 10 minutes at the end.

But it's a win, hopefully this will give the team some confidence but they need to improve to have any chance of top 4. 

Think Summers needs to up his work rate of attack and defence. McShane put a mammoth stint in defence.  Tomlinson was excellent and at half-time, he kept the team on the pitch for a "pep talk" for a few minutes.

I need more clarity, please.

[coolie]

A score that flattered us in the end 

Far too much barge, barge, barge for my liking, first half we were rubbish, second half we simply wore down Whitehaven to the point in the latter stages their players were dropping like flys, I'm not one for rubbishing match officials... But today I'll make an exception, referee never looked once for offside, allowed far to much slowing down at the play the ball, the old lad on the touchline was an useless ornament , why both touch judges watched the attacking and not the defending team.. Thought there job was one watch attacking, while the watched the defending team.. And way 2 points is 2 point at the end of the day 

Edited June 22 by coolie

[Blind side johnny]

By the end of the game it seemed like an easy win yet with only 20 minutes to go most of us felt that we were going to lose ignominiously once again. It is hard to tell what turned it around but it did seem that the haven team dropped off quite dramatically.

We still do too much barging; many of the players, large and small, seem to go for glory close to the line when their cause is clearly hopeless. Our line speed is non-existent - we are standing back 10m letting them run to us after their ptb and this means that we defend too deeply in our own half much of the time. In the opponent's 22 we really have no clue at all. Coates finally gave a glimpse of his quality with the scoot through a gap and the neat pass to Garside (better than the 50:50 of going on his own CF).

There was plenty of effort on display with much of it is being wasted by poor decision making. The walls of Fortress Owl Lane were in danger of being breached once again but we finally repelled the invaders. Top 4 is still going to be tricky.

[Wakefield Ram]

1 hour ago, Blind side johnny said:

I need more clarity, please.

Keenan Tomlinson

Jack McShane though Craig had another great game, always beating tackles