Doncaster RLFC require one final push to end six-year exile from Championship

The Dons recorded one of the most memorable wins in their 70-year history by beating Keighley Cougars in last weekend’s incredible preliminary final.

They will travel up to Cumbria buoyed by their sensational 28-26 comeback victory at Cougar Park but hoping they still have enough left in the tank to defeat a strong Town outfit on their own patch.

Tony Miller last guided Doncaster to promotion to the second tier in 2012 with the help of marquee signing Paul Cooke.

They were relegated from the Championship in 2015 and have been the nearly men of League One ever since, repeatedly falling short in the play-offs.

This is the first time the club has got all the way to the play-off final since 2012 when they completed a league and play-off double by beating Barrow at Warrington.

Richard Horne’s side came from 26-12 down midway through the second half to beat Keighley 28-26 in dramatic fashion on Sunday – thanks to a final play try from Liam Johnson and Jake Sweeting’s last kick conversion.

Chief executive Carl Hall said: “These players are a really special bunch.

“This final game I want them to do it for themselves because they’ve been immense.

“We’ve had some tough times and we’ve all stuck together. The coaching staff have been fantastic.”

He added: “We always planned to get this far. We’ve got there the last three years and we’ve always fell at the semi-final stage.

“We’ve made progression and now it’s a tough ask to go to Workington at the best of times but we’re going there in a final and I know for a fact the boys will give everything they’ve got.

“If we can get up it really puts the club in a great place.”

The Dons finished fifth in the table and have beaten Hunslet, North Wales Crusaders and Keighley to reach the final. In contrast, second-placed Workington had last weekend off after their semi-final win over Keighley.