Championship preview: Dewsbury Rams back at home for first time in eight weeks as Paul March asks questions of postponed Keighley Cougars contest
Dewsbury Rams will be looking to “put a show on” for their fans this Sunday when they play a home fixture for the first time in eight weeks.
Halifax Panthers will be the first visitors to FLAIR Stadium this Sunday, July 19 (kick off 3pm) since the Rams beat Workington Town 32-6 at home on May 24.
In the following eight weeks, Dewsbury have played just three away games in which they have come away with zero points thanks to defeats at Widnes Vikings, Barrow Raiders and Sheffield Eagles.
Paul March’s men should have had another away fixture last Sunday but the game with Keighley Cougars was called off just before kick-off due to the “unsafe” nature of the Cougar Park pitch being too hard, despite the home side’s women’s team playing against Oldham earlier in the day.
March told the Reporter Series: “I was 100 per cent frustrated. First of all, the game was called off by the referee due to a duty of care to players. The field was not in a fit state to be played.
“They knew what the field was like leading up this game through the week so why haven’t they done anything about it and why are they waiting until an hour before kick-off to get it sorted?
“The second question is, who let the ladies game go ahead on that field? They need to be questioned as well.”
He added: “It was frustrating that we didn’t play. We got there early enough, we got sorted and we were ready to go. We had a very good squad out there as well, so it was very frustrating all round.
“We wanted to get back onto the field as quickly as we could to put some things right from the Barrow and Sheffield games.”
That chance to put things right will now come against a Panthers outfit which came out on top 30-16 against the Rams in May at The Shay.
“They probably had their best team out for a long time against us,” March noted. “And if they do the same we will be tested again.
“But we are at home for the first time in eight weeks and we want to make sure we put a show on for our fans. I think we have done really well this year but we need to finish the season on a massive positive.
“We have got nine winnable games and a lot of them are at home as well. We are just looking forward to getting back to playing at home this Sunday.”