This week will see the Vikings travel to Dewsbury Rams in Round Four of the Betfred Championship on the back of three consecutive wins to start off the season. Here’s a closer look at Monday evening’s opponents…
FORM GUIDE
Dewsbury opened their account last weekend with a hard fought 12-10 victory over Sheffield Eagles.
The first two games of the season saw the Rams take on their arch rivals Bradford Bulls at the Tetley’s Stadium, followed by a trip to York City Knights.
Round One saw Dewsbury come out on the wrong side of a 46-16 scoreline on their home patch, followed by another high-scoring encounter as York ran out 30-2 winners the week after.
Off the back of two losses to start the season, they came up against Sheffield in awful conditions. A late try for Adam Ryder was the difference between the two sides in a closely-fought encounter. Coming off the back of their first win of the season, they will be looking for a repeat performance against the Vikings on Monday night, live on Premier Sports.
VIKINGS CONNECTIONS
Three members of the 2022 Vikings squad have represented the Rams over the course of their careers so far. Aaron Brown joined the Rams in 2013 where he spent six years at the Tetley’s Stadium, notching up 143 appearances on the red, black and amber.
Shane Grady represented Dewsbury 40 times, boasting an impressive return of a try every other game.
The last Viking to represent Dewsbury is new signing Matt Fleming who spent the 2021 season at the Rams before joining Widnes.
Rams interchange hooker Dom Speakman spent half of the 2019 season on trial at the Vikings before rejoining Dewsbury.
ONE TO WATCH
Veteran front rower Dale Ferguson may be entering the twilight years of his career, but will want to lead from the front for the Rams side.
His strong ball carrying and offload game can get Dewsbury on the front foot if he’s allowed to play the game on his terms. He has a wealth of Super League experience after playing for Huddersfield Giants, Bradford Bulls, and Wakefield Trinity, as well as being a Scotland international.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Widnes have won five of the last ten meetings between the two sides, and Dewsbury have won just two of their last five home games against the Vikings.
Last season saw Dewsbury win both home and away fixtures against the Vikings. Saturday 17 April 2021 saw the two sides clash at the DCBL Stadium with the Rams running out 22-14 winners.
The reverse fixture at the latter end of the season saw a depleted Vikings side travel to the Tetley’s Stadium. Dewsbury went into half time with a 19-6 lead. The second half saw a role reversal with Widnes having the upper hand and bringing the score back to 23-22 with 10 minutes to go. However, the Rams ultimately held on for the victory.
Click here for a look at how the squad is shaping up for the weekend’s game…
TICKET INFO
Supporters are able to purchase tickets for next Monday evening’s match at Dewsbury Rams directly from the home team’s website.
The Rams are offering reduced ticket prices for the game with adult and concession tickets available for just £10 and under-18s able to enter for free.
Widnes fans are asked to tick the ‘I’m a Widnes Vikings fan’ box when purchasing tickets online.
You can buy tickets via the button below.
