Tune in to watch the LIVE coverage of the Betfred Challenge Cup Fourth Round clash between Dewsbury Rams vs Widnes Vikings at the FLAIR Stadium right here on The Sportsman, with kick-off getting underway at 3pm.
Dewsbury are undergoing a great start to the season, advancing to this round of the Challenge Cup by beating Ashton Bears and Rochdale Hornets. They’ve also got an 100% win rate in Betfred League 1 so far this season, most recently triumphing for the second time in as many weeks against Rochdale.
Liam Finn’s side are young but have been gelling nicely. One exception is Paul Sykes, playing in his 25th season of rugby league. The 41-year-old has called Dewsbury home for the last seven years and saw the club fall from the Championship to League 1 last term, but things are looking good this year as they attempt to regain their spot back in the second division.
Making the trip to Yorkshire is the Widnes Vikings, led by Challenge Cup expert John Kear. Kear famously lifted the cup with Sheffield Eagles in 1998, widely regarded as one of the biggest upsets in rugby league history, as well as with Hull FC in 2005.
The Vikings are the favourites for this round, however they need to scramble around for a half-back after Danny Craven was forced to the sidelines after a late shot on Toulouse’s Robin Brochon a week ago. It’s expected skipper Jack Owens will fill-in like he did in pre-season, however that does force a headache on the rest of the squad selection. Widnes currently sit fourth in the Championship, two points behind both Sheffield and Toulouse, with their eyes firmly on the play-offs by the end of the season.
Widnes pulled the short straw last year as they faced Leigh Centurions in the fourth round, who dominated in a 38-4 win. Dewsbury were also defeated in the fourth round in 2022 by Workington Town, who later fell to the Barrow Raiders in round five.
Tune in below to watch the Betfred Challenge Cup game between Dewsbury Rams and Widnes Vikings:
