Tetley's Challenge Cup: Warrington Wolves host Championship high-flyer Doncaster in fifth round
Doncaster travel to the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Sunday for a fifth round tie with Warrington in the Challenge Cup.
Last Updated: 25/04/14 7:29pm
While Wolves have endured a chequered start to their campaign, four wins in their last five outings mean Doncaster enter the cup showdown just nine league place below their Super League opposition.
In the top flight, Tony Smith's side have won and lost in equal measure over their opening 10 fixtures, while six wins from eight have lifted Doncaster to third in the English second tier.
Smith will offer no room for complacency with a strong squad for the cross-league clash and admits Wolves expect a stern test from Doncaster.
"It's an opportunity for teams from different divisions to put themselves up against each other," he told the club's official website.
"You often see fantastic performances from Championship teams for periods of time in the game and it's fantastic for the supporters as well to see their team go up against some of the best in the country.
"They've had some fantastic victories over Sheffield and Featherstone - two heavyweights of the Championship - so we are up against a very good team and we are expecting a tough, hard hit-out."
Smith has made just one change from the side which suffered a 40-6 Super League mauling at the hands of Castleford Tigers on Easter weekend, with Brad Dwyer replacing the injured Ben Harrison.
Hopeful
The 26-year-old forward sustained a blow against the Tigers last weekend and is unable to feature in the Challenge Cup but Smith revealed the injury is not as bad as initially expected.
"Ben may not be as long as first feared," he added. "We feared a scaphoid injury but so far the scans and x-rays haven't shown that up.
"He has swelling in his wrist and has certainly done something that will probably prohibit him from playing this week but hopefully it's not a long-term injury."
In-form Doncaster, who are currently five points behind Championships leaders Leigh Centurions, head into the fixture buoyed by a 42-34 victory over rivals Sheffield Eagles.
"Obviously we are going well in the league and everybody is really looking forward to this Cup game now," Doncaster hooker Kyle Kesik told the club's official website. "We can't wait for it, but we know it will be tough."
Doncaster came from 28-12 behind at half-time to defeat the Eagles at Owlerton Stadium, a result which Kesik was more than happy with ahead of the fifth round tie against the 2012 Challenge Cup winners.
"It was a fantastic comeback against Sheffield," he added. "We were delighted with the result - the league's going very well so far this season - but it is obviously going to be tough to get a result against a Super League side in the Cup.
"It would be massive to get to a quarter-final, with us being a Championship club, but Warrington are a very good side with a lot of recent success in the Challenge Cup, so we'll have to play very well. But we will give it a good go."
Warrington: Asotasi, Atkins, Bridge, Currie, Dwyer, England, B. Evans, R. Evans, Higham, Hill, Laithwaite, J. Monaghan, M. Monaghan, O'Brien, Penny, Ratchford, Riley, Russell, Waterhouse.
Doncaster: Carbutt, Cooke, Edwards, Green, Kent, Kesik, Leaf, Morrison, Robinson, Sanderson, Scott, Starling, Spaven, Spiers, Waterman, Welham, Wildie, Wilkinson, Wilson.