Andrew Henderson: Form goes out of the window when it comes to the Challenge Cup

York Knights’ Andrew Henderson is expecting a tough test against Dewsbury Rams on Sunday when they travel to face their Yorkshire rivals in the Betfred Challenge Cup’s Third Round.

This Round 3 cup tie will be available to watch live on The Sportsman (K.O. 2pm), in which the winners will go on to host either Sheffield Eagles or Newcastle Thunder in Round 4.

The Knights had previously returned to competitive action in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup, enjoying an emphatic and record-breaking 114-10 victory over Newcastle Thunder, before losing out to a strong Wakefield Trinity side, 40-4 the following week.

“We needed a good test and we certainly got that,” Head Coach Henderson reflected on last week’s result. “But everything is building towards Round 1 in March.”

Henderson’s side impressively reached the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup last year, facing Super League opposition Leigh Leopards, highlighting that anything can happen in the sport’s prestigious knock out competition.

“Form goes out of the window when it comes to the Challenge Cup,” Henderson said.

“I’m expecting a very stern test. Dewsbury are at home, and I know they haven’t had the greatest start to the 1895 Cup competition, but this is a different competition and it’s a straight knock out competition.

“We’re going to have to go there and focus on the smaller details within our game.

“There will be a number changes this week as we want to have a look at everybody over the first few weeks. But whoever the 17 are – they will have the standards we set and what we expect, and hopefully they’ll deliver and that will be enough to earn us a result to the next round.”

But Henderson is not taking the Dewsbury cup tie lightly, despite the Rams’ difficult start to life back in the Betfred Championship, following their sensational promotion last season:

“Dewsbury know how to play on their pitch. It’s a small, narrow pitch and we don’t know what the conditions will be like on the day. They’ll be a lot of different factors to contend with.

“Dewsbury are a stubborn team. They know what winning looks like, as they won the League One campaign last year and a lot of that squad has been retained heading into this season."

The Rams were proudly unbeaten at home last season when they gained promotion from Betfred League One, and Henderson recognises that both sides will be looking to put things rights when they face each other on Sunday:

“I think Dewsbury will be disappointed with their two games and performances, but I know that they will be looking at that and want to right their wrongs and they’ll see this as an opportunity to do this.

"And it’s the same for us, we’ve had two contrasting fixtures in our group games of the 1895 Cup and now this is another opportunity for those players involved in last week’s game to right some wrongs, and the players that haven’t been involved yet to get an opportunity and show what they’re about.”

Looking ahead to Sunday's cup clash and the Challenge Cup competition as a whole, Henderson is relishing the challenge:

“It’s knock-out rugby league. We’re looking forward to it and we’re in a good place.

“I love the Challenge Cup because of the history and tradition involved with it. It’s another opportunity to play a competitive fixture.

“For me we’ll take it each week as it comes.”

Dewsbury Rams v York Knights will be streamed live on The Sportsman on Sunday 11 February, K.O. 2pm.

A full Betfred Challenge Cup Round Three Preview can be found here.