MATCH INFORMATION
DONCASTER RL v KEIGHLEY COUGARS - BETFRED LEAGUE ONE ROUND TWENTY-ONE
SUNDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER - 3PM KICK OFF
KEEPMOAT STADIUM - DONCASTER - DN4 5JW
REFEREE - MR JOE STEARNE (CASTLEFORD)
ADMISSION:
ADULT - £15
CONCESSIONS (60+) - £11
CHILDREN (5-16) - £1
CHILDREN (U5) - FREE
LOVERS: "I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE"
HE played in two World Cups as a player, but now Rhys Lovegrove is looking to the future at forward-thinking Keighley Cougars.
The 32-year-old Australian has had a baptism of fire since being appointed as head coach at Cougar Park in June.
Keighley, who have two games left of the current season starting at Doncaster on Sunday, are third-from-bottom in Betfred League One after a rollercoaster ride of a season. After quickly clawing back the 12-point pre-season deduction, the second half of the campaign has proved more stop-start, as Lovegrove looks to stamp his own authority on the squad.
Existing squad members galore, including utility player Dan Parker and Macauley Hallett, have signed contract extensions. But Lovegrove, who played for Scotland after qualifying via his mother as part of their 2008 and 2013 World Cup squads, says a series of new additions will arrive at Cougars during pre-season.
But Lovegrove, who started his career at St George-Illawarra Dragons before playing for Hull KR from 2007, says he only wants to recruit the right characters to add to the existing positive culture at Cougars.
He said: "There is a good culture here, that's the most important thing in a rugby league team. If you have that, it means everything.
"When you have that culture you need to build on that without disrupting it. There's going to be a few new players.
"I'm going to have a meeting with my staff on what I expect next year. We still need the foundations in place, if we bring in new people. Getting things in place is really important to us. I don't want to go over the same things next year with the players that I have already this year. I expect them to be learned by them."
Lovegrove, who was forced to retire from playing after a series of concussions during his spell in rugby union at Wharfedale, says he feels right at home at forward-thinking Cougars and wants to match the progress made off the field, on it.
He also understands a push towards promotion to the Betfred Championship is the priority next season, starting with a steadier pre-season, due to start on November 5, than last winter's.
Lovegrove said: "I'm a big, big believer that we're all part of the Cougars brand.
"We are all on the same page with the same goal. My job is to make sure the product on the field is viable and draws the crowd in.
"We're more of a forward-thinking club. What the owners are doing off the field is outside the norm. We're thinking outside the box.
"The margin for error is very skinny. They (the squad) understand how we want to play.
"There's no point in going on to a rugby field if you don't want to win. We're putting a team together.
"We can't wait for a good, solid pre-season to bed them in. That's the most frustrating thing.
"We're learning things every week as the comp is going on. We're seeing some things that we can't tackle during games. We had no pre-season. We want to see more like the first 25 minutes against Whitehaven (which Cougars eventually lost 28-19 but led at half-time).
"I'm not on the phone as much, putting out fires with daft things now. The last four weeks I've been doing more coaching."
TEAM NEWS
Rhys Lovegrove is forced into changes following the defeat to Whitehaven a fortnight ago.
Dan Parker and Jack Arnold are both ruled out through suspension whilst Matt Welham is unavailable for selection. Lewis Wray (MCL) is also ruled out through injury.
Spencer Darley (Throat) returns from injury to take come into the squad with Will Cooke and Dom Horn both brought back in to Lovegrove's side after missing out over the last month.
Matt Nicholson (Concussion), Josh Lynam (Neck) and Jordan Aitchison (Hamstring) all remain long term injuries for the Cougars.
COUGARS: Bailey, Cooke, Coventry, Cullimore, Darley, Dixon, Feather, Gaylor, Hallas, Hallett, Hardcastle, Horn, Levy, Miller, Moran, Muranka, Prell, Seeley, Sheriff.
Following a heavy defeat away at Oldham last time out, Richard Horne has made three changes ahead of the Cougars visit this Sunday.
Hull FC dual-registration star Jack Brown is unavailable, however, another man does come in on DR terms from the Airlie Birds in the shape of French forward Levy Nzoungou.
The other changes see Richard Owen and Matty Chrimes drop out the squad and they are replaced by former Cougar Matty Beharrell and Brandan Wilkinson, who is in line to make his first appearance for the club in over a year after recovering from a serious knee injury.
DONCASTER: Beharrell, Boas, Bower, Boyle, Chase, Doherty, Douglas, Foster, Halliday, Hedges, Hodgson, Howden, Kesik, Mariano, Nzoungou, Scott, Spiers, Tali, Wilkinson.
SUMMER PARTY AT DONCASTER
Doncaster will host an end of season party at the Keepmoat Stadium this Sunday.
Prior to turnstiles opening at 2pm a DJ will be entertaining supporters outside the stadium from 1.30pm, with a bar open for fans to purchase refreshments ahead of kick-off with deckchairs available for fans to use.
Following the match, the fan zone will re-open with food and refreshments available to purchase from the concourse until 6pm. The first-team players and staff will be in attendance.
Supporters are reminded that the Legends Club bar will be closed, and fans must use the Club Doncaster Family Stand concourse and fan zone.
MUIR: "I'M GUTTED TO MISS OUT ON RESERVES"
KEIGHLEY Cougars reserves head coach Dean Muir says he's gutted for his squad after they missed out on a place in next season's new reserve grade competition involving Super League sides.
The Rugby Football League (RFL) have revealed the 15-team 2020 line-up, with applications from Halifax and Betfred League One's Newcastle Thunder accepted.
They will join the 11 English Betfred Super League clubs, plus Bradford Bulls and Widnes Vikings from the Betfred Championship, who each have Category One-funded academies.
The sport's governing body says Cougars' application was rejected due to them not meeting selection criteria including a reliance on recruiting players from the "community game" for their squad.
Muir says Cougars respect the RFL's decision and will still prioritise producing home-grown players.
He said: "I'm gutted, but I'm more gutted for the players.
"I understand the decision and that the RFL want it to be an elite band competition.
"We will continue to produce young players. We're working really hard to make sure we have a development pathway in place right through to the first team. We're still going to try to get Keighley lads into the first-team.
"We fought really to make sure we got there with the RFL.
"We respect the decision and we will do something to make sure we have the best chance to produce our own in a college academy system from September 2020."
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