Rams to tackle Bulldogs and Fax on TV

The coverage of the Championship has been taken over by Premier Sports, who are sticking to the Thursday format.

The first is the trip to Batley Bulldogs on the night before the start of the Easter holiday. The Rams’ only televised home fixture is set to be against Halifax on June 21, unless Dewsbury are chasing top spot in the table.

However, the Rams have three Friday night away games – at Sheffield on May 18, York on June 29 and Leigh on July 13.

Dewsbury start their league campaign at home to York City Knights on Sunday, March 11 and then visit newly-promoted Swinton, who this time are playing home games at Leigh Sporting Village.

With a team fewer in the Championship this time, the chance has been taken to have only one game over Easter, a fact which pleases Rams’ coach Warren Jowitt, who said: “This will take some of the pressure off and give players chance to recover.

“Last season it took us a long time to get over the Thursday game against Batley on a very hot night when we had to play most of the game with 12 men and ran out of subs. That match took it out of us.”

Dewsbury’s four group games in the Northern Rail Cup feature Halifax, who they entertain on the opening day of the season on February 12, and Rochdale, also at home, with trips to Featherstone and Oldham.

There are 10 teams in each of two groups and the top four from each will go into the knockout stages.

The third round of the Challenge Cup, when Championship teams enter with the surviving amateur clubs and some French teams, will be on the weekend of March 25.