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Betfred League 1 Round 19 Preview
July 29, 2023
Round 19 of Betfred League 1 in 2023 starts with North Wales Crusaders hosting the Choughs in a match moved to Rhyl RFC, due to the unavailability of Parc Eirias in Colwyn Bay.
Carl Forsterโs side currently occupy the final play-off place but they are in a wretched run of form which has resulted in three consecutive defeats. Last time out, Crusaders were eased aside by runaway league leaders Dewsbury Rams.
For Cornwall, Mike Abbottโs troops are still harbouring faint play-off hopes which have been kept alive by two wins in their past three games. Firstly London Skolars were defeated 30-14 in the capital on July 8 before Midlands Hurricanes also had their colours lowered by Cornwall the following week.
In round 18, Cornwall pushed Workington Town close before going down 34-16 at the Memorial Ground.
At the South Leeds Stadium, the top two sides clash with Hunslet hosting Dewsbury. When the two teams met at the Flair Stadium on Good Friday, the Rams edged a titanic struggle 12-6.
A win for Dewsbury will stretch their lead at the top to nine points but a home victory would close the gap to five and, crucially, Hunslet have a game in hand over the current pacesetters.
Rochdale Hornets will be hoping for better weather at Spotland after their most recent match against London Skolars was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
They play Midlands Hurricanes who, after losing to Cornwall and slipping to second bottom in the standings, picked up arguably the most surprising result of the season to date in defeating Doncaster in round 18.
With the Hurricanes tempting former Super League star Scott Murrell out of retirement, his partnership with on loan Castleford youngster Jacob Hookem at half-back paved the way for a famous victory.
But the omens are good for Rochdale who have won five previous encounters against the Hurricanes, which included a gritty 32-24 victory over the Birmingham outfit in round three.
Doncaster will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing Midlands reverse when they face the long trip into Cumbria to face Workington Town.
The two teams are only separated in the table by points difference and Town will be hoping to evoke memories of their 2021 play-off victory over Doncaster, which resulted in promotion to the Championship.
However, Workingtonโs stay in the second tier was only brief and after just a solitary season, they were relegated back to League 1. Doncaster, after losing the 2021 shoot-out, then suffered a similar fate last year as they were defeated by Swinton Lions.
Betfred League 1 Round 19 Fixtures
(all 3.00pm Sunday unless stated)
Hunslet vs Dewsbury Rams
North Wales Crusaders vs Cornwall (2.30pm)
Rochdale Hornets vs Midlands Hurricanes
Workington Town vs Doncaster