China & Cooke added to squad along with new signing SPIERS www.thestar/sport/rugby-league

China & Cooke added to squad along with new signing SPIERS www.thestar/sport/rugby-league

Don't think you can afford to have a player on the bench that may not be used in the modern game. interchanges are a big part. If Cooke is fit, he will play, the fans want to see it, the sponsors want to see it. If he is not fully fit, play someone who is.

once again the doncaster star prints not one word re the dons game tomorrow how are we to get over to the general public that we have got a rugby team in the town if there is no publicity, people wont know if we are at home or away

Doncaster RLFC will play their third Co-operative Championship One game of the season on Sunday when South Wales Scorpions make the trip to the Keepmoat Stadium (3pm kick-off).

Dons' head coach Tony Miller hopes to be boosted by the return of Paul Cooke and Dean Colton who both missed last weekend's Carnegie Challenge Cup home win against Sharlston Rovers with respective Achilles and groin injuries.

Ex-Hull FC forward Dean O'Loughlin is available for selection despite his last minute sending off against Sharlston and will learn his fate this coming week along with hooker Nathan Powley.

New Wakefield dual signing Russ Spiers is also available for selection and the young prop could make his Dons debut against former Wildcats half back Jamie Rooney who has joined the Welsh club this season.

Like the Dons, the Scorpions have won one and lost one so far and Miller said: "They have some useful players in their ranks, especially ex-England half back Jamie Rooney who will be a threat to us.

"I expect them to be up there challenging at the end of the season but, if we want to do anything this year we need to win our home games and turn the Keepmoat into a fortress.

"I thought we played well in patches last week in the cup against Sharlston and I thought Lee Waterman was outstanding and fully deserved his six try haul.

"His partnership with Tom Hodson has looked very promising and they both certainly know where the try line is."

Hooker Nathan Mossop (shoulder) faces a late fitness test before Scorpions' head coach Dave Clark can select his team that will travel to Doncaster.

However, Clark's squad will definitely include utility player Alan Pope, who missed last week's 24-22 Challenge Cup win at Wath Brow after his wife gave birth.

Clark said: "It's going to be a huge challenge for us at Doncaster. We need a good performance, and if we can get to a completion rate like we did against Wath Brow, when we were up to 80 per cent, then we'll compete well.

"Doncaster are looking at promotion and finishing in the top four. If you look at the personnel they've got, they've got a wealth of experience.

"Paul Cooke is an outstanding player, while Mike Emmett is very strong and runs well from dummy half. There are some big tests for us right across the field and we'll have to be at our best."

Handicap Betting ...

Dons -18pts ... 10/11 Boylesports (-20 pts ... 4/5 Bet365)
SW Scorpions +18pts ... 10/11 Boylesports (+20pts ... Evs Bet365)
The Handicap Draw ... 16/1 (both bookmakers)

Here's the Scorpion's back line.

All fit ... it must be a record.

If they win, they will be 'Glad all over' ... but I predict that they won't and will be in 'Bits and pieces'.

The younger members on the forum won't have a clue what I'm on about.

Dons 46 South Wales 12
Star of the show Tom Hodson 3 tries & a brilliant cover tackle.

good team performance and a deserved man of the match for tom hodson. when he set off from one wing to the other for that try saver i thought there was no way he was gona get there,great effort. tackling seems to be improving week on week. all in all good performance, great result

have to say I think Craig Robinson had a good game as always and is easily one of the best second rowers in the comp in my opinion - but rarely have I seen a more deserved man of the match than Tom Hodson today he was outstanding

ps he made two cover tackles if you count that one on his wing where he somehow managed to turn the stockier diving fellow on his back and held him up.

Our left side attack is also one of the more potent in recent memory with cooke, robbo, waterman and hodson all operating down that side.

A good day out and a great result.

I hope we took Cooke off because he wasn't needed rather than a recurrence of Achilles trouble.

Easy!

Rooney was not that good after all.

Next!!!

He didn't look in trouble so think it was probably precautionary. game was won. though he was stretching a bit when hyde was down injured

also thought the small band of south wales supporters were quite good natured

tom


s cover tackle should be on harry hills highlight of the week ,and barrows loss at oldham makes todays result much sweeter roll on friday,