Jowitt aims to silence critics

Dewsbury crashed out of the Carnegie Challenge Cup last Sunday, losing 44-38 to Championship One leaders Swinton Lions. Coach Jowitt was disappointed with the defensive display and has vowed to turn things around.

“The fans pay their money to come and watch, so are entitled to their opinion but they are not the ones putting in the hard yakka in training,” said Jowitt. “I don’t expect them to be jumping for joy because such a performance is not acceptable but I would remind them at this stage last season we hadn’t won a game and had had poor runs in the Northern Rail and Challenge Cups.”

Jowitt has signed full-back Elliot Hodgson on a dual registration from Huddersfield and he will go straight into the Rams side to face Super League-bound Widnes Vikings in the Co-operative Championship at Tetley’s Stadium on Sunday (3pm). Jowitt has also been speaking to Leeds Rhinos and is confident two more players will be added to the squad soon.

He said: “Everybody has seen us at our best and our worst but I know, when we play well, we can beat anybody in the league. We have proved that against Batley in the Northern Rail and the way we demolished Toulouse and I am sure that come the end of the season the critics will be proved wrong.”

Dewsbury have no new injury worries but there are likely to be changes in Sunday’s starting line-up, one of which could see Scott Turner revert back to centre to allow Hodgson to make his debut.

Jowitt added: “The decision to switch Scott isn’t because of the Swinton game as he has been doing a great job. Scott can play anywhere in the three-quarters and this gives me another option.”

Jowitt admitted that some of the squad are low on confidence but they have been working extremely hard to rectify the defensive errors which have cost them in recent matches.

Despite their lapse in form, Dewsbury are still only six points behind fifth-placed Widnes, while they also have a game in hand. Victory over the Vikings, who confirmed this week that Denis Betts will lead them into Super League next season, would instill confidence and would really shake things up in the race for the play-offs.

Supporters are reminded that the grass bankings at both ends of the ground remain out of use, although Dewsbury’s safety officer Tony Scargill is set to meet with Kirklees Council to see if this can be rectified.

Chairman Mark Sawyer has also confirmed that Dewsbury have put in an application to stage one of the 2013 World Cup group games. Dewsbury, along with Batley and Huddersfield have put together a joint Kirklees bid to be involved in the competition.

Mr Sawyer said: “We have put out a tender to be one of the training venues for the World Cup but we are also keen to stage a lower ranked match and we have already got experience in hosting a World Cup qualifier after Ireland and Lebanon played here four years ago.”

Tomorrow’s reserve game at Widnes has been moved to a new venue. It will takeplace at New Brighton RUFC, Hartsfield, Reeds Lane, Moreton, CH46 3RH. The kick-off remains 2.30pm.