Doncaster RLFC: Scott targets play-off fillip at Rochdale

Dons prop Connor Scott threw down the gauntlet to the club's rivals in the forthcoming League One play-offs in Sunday's big win over Hemel Stags.
Connor ScottConnor Scott
Connor Scott

The 23-year-old produced one of his best performances since early season when notching his first ever hat trick at this level following a barnstorming display.

Despite the fact the result was never in doubt Scott praised Hemel for playing for the full 80 minutes.

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“Even though new teams such as Hemel regularly get heavily beaten they always keep going and you certainly can’t under-estimate teams like them or you could come a cropper,” he said.

“We lost up at Newcastle earlier in the season and we were probably a bit guilty on the day of taking them lightly.

“It taught us a lesson that you have to go out and play your best in every game no matter who you are playing.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s final league game of the season at second-placed Rochdale, Scott said: “To win by the score we did is a great boost going into the game, though there are areas we need to tighten up in.

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“The idea was to try and nil them but we let them in for a couple of sloppy tries and we’ll have to defend better than we did on those occasions against Rochdale or they'll punish us.

“We know Rochdale are a good team but I’m hopeful we can go there and pick up a win which would set us up nicely for the start of the play-offs in a fortnight’s time.”

Scott admits the Dons forwards will face one of their toughest tasks this season at Spotland against the only team to deny league leaders Toulouse victory, but argued: “I’m equally sure they’ll be worried by the likes of our forwards such as Mikali Aizue.

“It’s great to be playing alongside the likes of Mikali, who I watched play when I was growing up. Mark Castle is another experienced prop and we’ve also got the likes of Matt Nicholson (when he’s fit) and Zac Braham, so we’ve got strength in depth and there is a lot of competition for places.”