‘Biggest test so far’ - Liam Finn expects toughest game yet for Dewsbury Rams at Workington

The Rams have made a composed and assured start to the new season with two wins from two in the league, in addition to two wins in the Challenge Cup.

Meanwhile, Workington, who were relegated from the Championship with Dewsbury at the end of last season, have won their only league game, a 16-58 victory at London Skolars on the opening day, although they exited the Challenge Cup at the hands of Doncaster at the weekend, 24-20.

And although the Rams completed the double over this weekend’s opponents in 2022, Finn believes it will be their toughest test yet in 2023. He said:

“It will be our toughest test so far. It is always a tough trip going up there - wherever you go up there in Cumbria.

“They have got a pretty strong foundation of Cumbrian lads now representing the club and have had a couple of decent performances. They had a good win down at London and it will be our biggest test so far.

“I haven’t seen an awful lot of them yet as they have had a stop-start season. But they are pretty rugged and have tough ball carriers, as you can imagine.

“They are pretty tough, physically, in defence. We just need to match that physicality but obviously be able to play our game at the same time.

“It’s a tough place to go to when it’s cold weather but it’s tough at any time of the year, that trip. We just need to make sure that we are on our game and take our best game there and challenge them.

“If we do that well we will be in with a chance of winning the game.”

Finn confirmed that Louis Collinson will be out for “six to twelve weeks” with a broken thumb but added, aside from “bumps and bruises” sustained in the Challenge Cup win against Rochdale Hornets, there are no fresh injury concerns within the squad.

However, he also admitted that the players who received game time last weekend “have done enough to give me a headache” as he prepares to name his squad ahead of Sunday’s long away trip.