DONCASTER started the season looking as if they might be genuine title contenders, but whereas Bradford Bulls and York City Knights have maintained their battle at the summit, the South Yorkshire side have fallen away badly.

They have lost three of their last four Betfred League One matches, including a crushing 34-6 defeat at Workington last week, and it does not get any easier as they travel to face the leaders at Odsal tomorrow.

This will be the second league fixture between the pair this season, and when Bulls travelled to the Keepmoat Stadium at the end of April, they really showed their class.

Bulls went 8-0 up early on, and although Aaron Jones-Bishop soon reduced the deficit with a fine try, that was as good as it got for Doncaster. The hosts eventually lost 32-6, with Elliot Minchella bagging a brace of tries.

Jones-Bishop is one threat that Bulls will need to be wary of tomorrow though. The powerful winger, brother of Super League star Ben, has pace to burn and his opportunism poses a severe threat to the opposition too.

Centre Sam Doherty has not always featured in the first team this season, but he has started their last four matches and has shown an eye for a crucial score, crossing the line in narrow wins over Newcastle Thunder and Keighley Cougars.

Australian scrum-half Jordie Hedges has shown a temperamental side for Doncaster in the past, receiving a six-game ban last season for a dangerous throw, but his kicking ability should not be underestimated, having scored five goals in the side's victory over Cougars this month.

Doncaster's season is by no means over, with the teams below Bulls and York packed tightly together. Many of their rivals have momentum, though, and Doncaster will struggle to regain that at Odsal.

Their games are not looking much easier after tomorrow either, with trips to York and Hunslet followed by a tough home fixture against Oldham before the end of July.

Upcoming clashes with Hemel Stags and West Wales Raiders are likely to offer Doncaster some respite, as they look to pick up the wins needed to keep their play-off chances alive.