Improvement in ruck area crucial if Doncaster are to repel the Vikings

Their Super League hosts are fully expected to be too strong for the South Yorkshire Championship club.

However, he is, at least, looking to see improvements on their previous experience against
top-flight opposition.

Rampant Bradford Bulls swept past them 72-6 at this fourth-round stage 12 months ago in what Miller admits was a sobering experience.

“We want to go and compete at Widnes as we failed to do that last year,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“We weren’t able to manage Bradford around the ruck and certainly need to be better in that area. They were physically just too dominant; although we got in to the tackle, they just went over the top of us and they had too many good players running around off the back of that.

“But I think we’ve improved physically this season so it’ll be interesting to see how we now cope. If we can compete around the ruck, we know we won’t always be chasing our tails.”

However, Doncaster’s hopes have been hindered.

“We are a bit skinny with numbers,” conceded Miller.

“We’ve not got anyone from our partnership with Wakefield Trinity because it’s the cup and, likewise, we’ve had a couple of Huddersfield Giants players who they do not want getting cup-tied.

“We’ll get a team out, but we are probably at stretching point.”

Doncaster have won just two league games since being promoted as Championship One Grand Final winners, but four bonus points procured point to their competitiveness.

Miller said: “There’s no pressure on the lads and I’ve just told them to enjoy this. We’ve prepared like any other game.

“Being a Friday, a couple of lads are having to work beforehand, but that’s just Championship rugby for you and it shouldn’t have any adverse effect on us.

“I don’t think many of our guys will have played on an artificial surface like the one you get at Widnes, but it’s not a problem.

“I watched them at Cas on the box last week and saw a few things we’ve worked on.”