O'CARROLL LOOKS AHEAD TO DEWSBURY CLASH

Eamon O’ Carroll says a week without a match has provided Newcastle Thunder with useful opportunities, as preparations continue for this Sunday’s Betfred Championship trip to Dewsbury Rams (KO 3pm)

After exiting the Betfred Challenge Cup in round four, the head coach and his team were presented with the chance to train with a different focus,  which they have made the most of.

Using the extended run-in to the round six fixture, Thunder have been looking inward as they aim to build on a creditable performance against Leigh Centurions in round five.

Reflecting on the last week-and-a-half O’ Carroll explains: “It’s been useful to have the break even if it’s frustrating the way the fixtures go at the moment with a week on, week off.

“I think we’re in a position now where we need to be playing week in, week out so we have to make sure that we are smart and we maximise those weeks.

“We made some changes to our programme and our preparations and although we used last week as we would have if we were playing to keep ourselves familiar with that, we managed to get some good work done.

“We worked on some combinations, got some bodies back and I feel we used the week really wisely and that has given us some good preparation going into this week and the Dewsbury game.

“I think if you have a long period to prepare for a game you can overcook it massively, so we didn’t focus to much on Dewsbury in that week, we focused on ourselves.

“We addressed some things we want to be better at and where we feel we need to be better in that week and not preparing for a game gave us the opportunity to do that.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s trip to the Tetley’s Stadium, O’Carroll is aware of the challenge that a Rams side looking for a second win of the season are likely to pose.

He however maintains that keeping an introspective outlook is how Thunder can give themselves their best chance of taking a fourth win in succession over Dewsbury.

He said: “Dewsbury are always a really difficult team to play against which we learned last year. We were successful in terms of the result, but the nature of the games, they were really tough and very competitive and I know that is going to be the case this weekend.

“They’ll be looking at us and thinking that they will be able to go after us so we are going to have to be good and well disciplined. It is going to be a challenge but an exciting one.

“There are threats across the park even though we’re not to sure what their squad will look like.

 “They are dual registered with Hull KR and have had Phoenix Laulu Togaga’e and Rowan Milnes playing for them and they have looked a different outfit when they are available.

“Milnes and Matty Beharrell look to complement each other and then Cal Turner, if he is fit and available will find that extra kind of impetus you get when you come across your own club.

“When he is on, he’s a dangerous player so that, and a pack that won’t go away they will challenge us physically.

“Again though, for where we are at the minute, we have to focus on ourselves more so that the opposition.

“We will have an awareness of what they are going to do and what threats they pose, but when you come out of the games against York and Leigh, there were some things we didn’t get right and some that we did very well, so I’m looking for the group to respond in that way and get those areas better.”