Liam Finn expecting the ‘very best version’ of Dewsbury Rams in Halifax Panthers’ Championship season opener

Finn guided Dewsbury to the League 1 title, and instant promotion back to the second tier, last season before making the switch to lead his hometown club for 2024.

And the former Rams head coach expects a “tough start” against a side who have recently added Paul March to their coaching staff following the departure of ex-Panthers player Jaymes Chapman.

He said: “They’ve not had a game for a few weeks and we’ve only played a couple of times in the last few weeks. They’ve added a new coach in there so it may change how they play a little bit and they will have had a good month to work on it.

“I expect the very best version of Dewsbury in their first game at home back in the Championship. It will be a tough start. They should be fired up and rightly so.

“We need to match that in terms of intensity and enthusiasm and then we can start talking about rugby if we do that.”

Asked what Dewsbury’s style of play - under new head coach Dale Ferguson - he is expecting on Sunday, and for the new campaign, Finn replied:

“If it’s anything like him as a player they will be pretty tough and pretty strong through the middle. I am aware of a lot of the players and they have some quality players there that challenge you.

“They have got a good set of props in Jimmy (Beckett), Elliot Morris and Ronan (Dixon). They’ve added a few in the mix with that. I am expecting a big challenge, a physical one and everybody is aware that it is a tighter field than normal so it makes it even more of a physical challenge and we need to make sure that we are up for it.”

One player who is tipped for a bright future in the game is young Dewsbury centre Bailey O’Connor.

“He is a good player, who has got the attributes,” admitted Finn. “He has got the size, the speed and the strength. He just needs to lock 50-odd games under his belt and get the experience to go with it all.

“I probably see him as a centre for a first choice position but he has also got the utility value and the skills to slot in anywhere in the back line and arguably loose forward at a push. He is a good, quality young player and one that we will have to be on it to contain.”

Is Finn looking forward to returning to his former club?

He said: “I have got nothing but happy memories from my time at Dewsbury, as a player and a coach. They gave me my first opportunity as a head coach so I am really grateful to Mark (Sawyer) and the club for that.

“There are great people involved who are really friendly but once the game kicks off I expect them to be doing their best to beat us, and vice versa, and then have a drink together after.”