Dewsbury v Swinton Lions preview: Rams searching for only their second win of 2024 with three Championship rounds left

The Rams are rock-bottom of the table with only one win to their name in 2024. That Round 2 triumph against Heavy Woollen rivals Batley Bulldogs seems a long time ago with Dewsbury going onto lose their next 21 league games in a row.

The latest of which came at The Shay last Sunday, with Halifax Panthers, a club which was facing possible liquidation over unpaid taxes, running out comfortable 34-6 winners.

The Rams are back on home soil this weekend to welcome a lowly Swinton outfit who bounced back from two successive defeats against Barrow Raiders and table-toppers Wakefield Trinity with a stunning victory over Featherstone Rovers.

The Lions’ outstanding 28-8 success - largely thanks to a hat-trick from Richard Lepori - ensured they completed the double over Fev for the first time since the 1962-63 season.

More importantly, the win lifted them out of the immediate relegation zone into 12th place.

If they remain in that position come the end of Round 26, they will play the winner of the League One play-offs to determine who will be a Championship team in 2025.

And whilst Swinton will not be taken lightly by the Rams, the fixture, on paper at least, looks the least challenging of their final three games with a trip to seventh-placed Featherstone and a home clash with sixth-placed Sheffield to complete their season to forget.