Doncaster RLFC: Horne facing dreaded scenario as Dons prepare for Toronto trip

Doncaster RLFC boss Richard Horne is facing the most fraught weekend of his fledgling League One coaching career.
Richard Horne, right, takes his team to Toronto this week.Richard Horne, right, takes his team to Toronto this week.
Richard Horne, right, takes his team to Toronto this week.

As a result of Sunday’s dramatic 28-24 home defeat against Newcastle in their penultimate League One Super 8s clash, the Dons might have to beat newly-crowned champions Toronto Wolfpack on Saturday to retain their play-off spot.

It is just the scenario that the former Hull FC star always hoped to avoid.

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“I said at the start of the Super 8s that I didn’t want to have to be going to Toronto with a weakened team needing to win,” said Horne, who will check on several players including Charlie Martin tonight.

“We are still in the driving seat and neither Keighley or Newcastle have easy games.

“Sunday was another game that we could have won and where we finished within a score of doing so. We’ve got to learn to win those sort of games going forward.

“We set off well and took an early lead then they had a 15-20 minute spell, during which they played really quickly and opened up a 16-6 lead, though I felt the tries they scored were soft from our point of view.

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“We got back on level terms at the break and I would have settled for that when we were ten points down.

“I thought we dominated the second half but we didn’t make it count. Nick Rawsthorne was adjudged to have been held up over the line, though he was adamant he’d got the ball down, and Jason Tali was held just short.

“Had we scored then I think the game might have got away from them but then they scored during their first attack of the half and that was due to a lack of communication in defence.

“We got back in front at 24-22 only to concede a late try.”