Dewsbury Rams set to welcome back Brad Graham and ‘general’ Calum Turner ahead of Swinton Lions clash

The Rams head into the round five contest having produced a determined second half performance at Barrow Raiders last weekend, a half which they won 16-1, but they still fell to a 27-20 defeat.

Asked if he felt his side were looking to carry on from where they left off in Cumbria, head coach Ferguson replied:

“Definitely. Massive credit for how the players got back into the game but it was a lapse in concentration and indiscipline for 15 minutes before half-time which cost us the game and left us with too much to claw back.

“Barrow scored three tries in nine minutes. That is the competition we are playing in. It is a tough competition and if you have a lapse in concentration and indiscipline, which we did, no matter who you play in the Championship, you are going to get stung.

“But that second half is what we are about. We are a hardworking team but we just need to respect the ball for the full 80 minutes and, if we can do that and keep in the arm wrestle, I have got full faith in my team to see out an 80-minute performance.

“Games aren’t won in the first half, you start picking up wins in this competition at the back end of the game.”

Assessing Swinton’s early season form, which has seen them, like Dewsbury, only win once in their opening four league outings, albeit at highly-fancied Toulouse, Ferguson said:

“They are travelling well and are a little bit under the radar like us. They are a hardworking bunch and they have assembled a good squad over there.

“We will have to knock out an 80-minute performance if we are to come away with the goods.”

But the Rams may have Graham, who suffered a knee injury in pre-season, and Turner, who has not featured since Good Friday’s win over Batley Bulldogs, back available.

Ferguson said: “To strengthen the squad we have a couple who could be back in Brad Graham and Calum Turner.

“We thought Brad was going to get off to a flying start this season flying but he was unfortunate to pick up an injury. Cal Turner is like the general for us. He dictates a lot of how we go on the field with Hookem (Jacob) and Sykesy (Paul Sykes). Whoever he plays with, he brings out the best in so he’ll be a massive boost for the team.”