Newcastle Thunder v Dewsbury Rams match preview and 21-man squads

   14/02/2026

Last time these two teams met six months at Blaydon RFC, the Rams scored eleven tries to easily brush aside their hosts, who remained winless throughout the 2025 season.

But how different things are in 2026, with both these sides lying in the top five and coming into the game with two wins out of two, meaning that one team is likely to lose its unbeaten record.

It will be Thunder’s first home game of the season after they registered impressive away wins against Midlands Hurricanes and Whitehaven, while the Rams won much tighter games away at Hunslet and at home to Keighley Cougars.

Thunder, coached by Graham Steadman, will have several players on loan from York Knights, including Jordan Lipp, who wears squad number 3 for the Knights, and they are also likely to give a run to newly re-signed Sean Croston, who played for them in the last two seasons.

The Rams went down to a heavy 46-0 defeat to Oldham in the third round of the Challenge Cup and they will be anxious to bounce back strongly from that defeat. They go into the game with few injury worries.

SQUADS

Thunder: 1 Myles Harrison, 2 Andy Djeukessi, 3 Joe Law, 5 Brad Ward, 6 Cody Hunter, 7 Will Roberts, 9 Taylor Pemberton, 10 Ryan Jackson, 11 Harvey Reynolds, 12 Noah Whittingham, 14 Maxime Rostang, 15 Brenden Santi, 16 Leo Tennison, 18 Ukuma Ta’ai, 19 Jack Brown, 24 Matty Foster, 25 Jack Smith, 27 Jordan Lipp, 28 Tyler Walton, 29 Sean Croston

Rams: 1 Craig McShane, 2 Tom Delaney, 3 Caelum Jordan, 4 George Senior, 5 Liam Copland, 6 Dan Coates, 7 Jacob Hookem, 8 Luke Nelmes, 9 Jack McShane, 11 Joe Summers, 12 Luke Mearns, 13 Dec Tomlinson, 14 Jacob Parkinson, 16 Louis Collinson, 17 Harvey Roberts, 19 Louie Walker, 20 Valu Bentley, 22 George Rayner, 23 Brad Graham, 28 Jamie Gill, 29 Bailey O’Connor

Referee: Luke Bland

STATS

Last ten meetings
Newcastle 10, Dewsbury 64 (L1R18, 3/8/25)
Dewsbury 56, Newcastle 6 (L1R6, 18/4/25)
Newcastle 24, Dewsbury 24 (ChR20, 23/7/22)
(at Kingston Park)
Dewsbury 22, Newcastle 24 (ChR6, 20/3/22)
Dewsbury 22, Newcastle 43 (ChR19, 29/8/21)
Newcastle 24, Dewsbury 12 (ChR13, 11/7/21)
(at Kingston Park)
Newcastle 38, Dewsbury 30 (CCR5, 15/3/20)
(at Kingston Park)
Dewsbury 36, Newcastle 8 (CCR4, 17/3/17)
Dewsbury 28, Newcastle 18 (CCR4, 22/3/15)
Dewsbury 36, Gateshead 8 (NL2R16, 23/7/06)