Doncaster RLFC: Connor Bower eyes regular spot in Dons’ promotion hunt

The former Hull FC prospect has started the season well and was one of the try-scorers in the club’s 46-6 Coral Challenge Cup win over Featherstone Lions at the weekend.

“It was a good result for us,” said Bower. “We knew that we couldn’t afford to treat them lightly especially after seeing Thatto Heath beat North Wales Crusaders the previous day.”

The club’s Challenge Cup campaign has been put on the back burner at training this week ahead of the club’s return to Betfred League One action against much-improved Coventry Bears at the Keepmoat Stadium on Sunday.

“They gave us a good game when we played them in the Challenge Cup last month and we know we’ll need to be bang on against them on Sunday,” said Bower.

“We are two from four at the moment.

“We got the season off to a brilliant start with a win at Newcastle but costly errors and a lack of discipline saw us lose against Hunslet and Whitehaven.

“We’ve identified where we went wrong in both those games and we have time to put things right and hopefully avenge both defeats.

“The standard of the league is getting better every year and you need the right attitude every time you go out there. If you don’t turn up you can get turned over.

“We’ve kept the nucleus of last season’s back division and I think it’s starting to come together. We just need to cut out the mistakes and indiscipline.

“Jason (Tali) is a big strong guy who is a fantastic finisher. He is very direct whereas I offer something a bit different which is probably what a coach looks for in a centre partnership.

“I’m happy with how things have gone and hopefully I can keep my place.”

Looking ahead to the rest of the season Bower said: “In an ideal world we’d like to finish top of the table and be guaranteed automatic promotion following the disappointment of defeat in last season’s play-off semi-final.

“But if we have to go up through the play-offs again then so be it. All we can do every week is to turn up and try and pick up a win and see where that takes us.”