Rivals KR in swoop for Jewitt

CHRIS HAMILTON

HULL KR, runaway Championship leaders who will bring an army of fans to Bower Fold on Sunday, have signed Oldham-born prop Lee Jewitt on contract to the end of next season.

A product of the Waterhead club, 30-year-old Jewitt is back from Australia where he has been playing for Townsville Blackhawks, a feeder club for NRL side North Queensland Cowboys.

KR's Aussie boss Tim Sheens, one of the most decorated coaches in rugby league, spent five years as Cowboys coach earlier in his career.

It isn't yet known whether Jewitt will be in the squad to face his home-town club on Sunday.

Travelling Rovers fans, who helped to swell the crowd at Featherstone last Sunday to more than 4,000, are expected to provide Roughyeds with their biggest Bower Fold attendance of the season so far.

To do that they'll have to beat the 1,691 who watched switched-on Roughyeds beat Bradford Bulls 26-22 on April 2.

HOME SOIL

It will be Roughyeds' first game on home soil since Good Friday, April 14 and since then they've played seven games on the road.

Turnstiles will open half an hour earlier than usual at 1.30pm and in line with police and Government recommendations all fans, players and visitors entering the ground will be subject to a thorough baggage search.

Fans are asked to leave unnecessary baggage at home and to arrive early in order to ease congestion.

Fans are also being asked to moderate alcohol consumption before arriving at the ground.

On a different note, Oldham prop Phil Joy will have surgery on his twice-dislocated shoulder on June 19.

Roughyeds chairman Chris Hamilton said: "Once he's had that he'll soon be ready to start his long haul back.

"He'll get stuck into his rehab and he should then be ready to turn up with everybody else on the opening day of pre-season and be at the same fitness level as everybody else."