Dewsbury coach Lee Greenwood has laughed off suggestions that Monday-night matches present too many organisational problems and said: “We’d play at two in the morning if it meant having a game and the Championship getting some coverage.”
The Rams make a rare live television appearance tonight (February 21) in the fourth second-tier match to be screened by Premier Sports – although for visitors Widnes, it’s the first of three successive games on the subscription channel.
Their February 28 Challenge Cup fourth-round tie at Leigh and March 7 home league game against Barrow will also be shown.
“Yes, you do have to do things a little differently, and obviously most of the players at both clubs will have been working,” said Greenwood, whose side bounced back from two defeats by beating Sheffield 12-10 last week, despite the dismissal of Reiss Butterworth.
“But we’re used to training in the evenings, and we’ll adjust our preparations to take account of that and the different kick-off time (7.45pm).
“For the bigger picture of being on television and getting publicity for the club, the competition we play in and the game as a whole, it’s well worth it.”
Last season, Dewsbury beat an inconsistent Widnes side in both their meetings but Greenwood knows Simon Finnigan’s reshaped team are a different proposition this season.
They finished round three of the second tier on top of the table after following up victories against London Broncos and Workington by beating Halifax 9-8 at The Shay.
“We know this is a huge challenge,” added Greenwood.
“Widnes are undefeated with quality players throughout their team.
“They seem to have addressed a few areas they struggled in last season and they have obviously started well.
“We will need to be every bit as good as we were last week and hopefully keep 13 men on the pitch.”
Widnes remain without fullback Jack Owens and have halfback Danny Craven out through injury.
Dewsbury 21-man squad: Calum Turner, Andy Gabriel, Adam Ryder, Davey Dixon, Lewis Carr, Matty Beharrell, Jimmy Beckett, Reiss Butterworth, Harry Kidd, Jason Walton, Chris Annakin, Dom Speakman, Keenen Tomlinson, Jordan Schofield, Ross Peltier, Jake Sweeting, Aaron Hall, Brad Graham, Jon Magrin, Robson Stevens, Paul Sykes.
Widnes 21-man squad: Jake Spedding, Steve Tyrer, Ryan Ince, Matty Smith, Matty Fozard, Shane Grady, Sam Wilde, Adam Lawton, Kenny Baker, Joe Lyons, Aaron Brown, Tyler Dupree, Matt Fleming, Olly Davies, Lloyd Roby, Joe Edge, Will Tilleke, Lewis Hulme, Brad Holroyd, Levy Nzoungou, Eribe Doro.
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