The Warriors have had a difficult two weeks after two heavy thrashings at the hands of the Raiders and Nottingham Outlaws was followed by the decision of coach Richard Jones to stand down to focus on his new job at Hartpury College and his upcoming wedding.

“We were sad to hear Richard’s decision but understand the reasons behind it,” said Chairman Chris Wilson. “It leaves us in a difficult situation but one we have to cope with and get on with the business of winning a few games before the season ends.

Martin Roddy MBE has offered his services on a temporary basis and the side will train as usual on Thursday at Oxstalls (6.30pm) prior to the clash with the Cougars.

“Martin has coached us before and has also worked with the All Golds BUCS student teams,” said Wilson. “He is an extremely capable coach and we are grateful to have his skill and experience to guide us through this rocky patch.

The Cougars, meanwhile are sitting pretty at the top of the table with a three point lead over the Outlaws and a run of six wins and a draw in their last eight matches behind them.

They beat the Warriors comfortably enough 44-10 in Treharris earlier on in the season but the game was close until after the break when the Welsh side ran in three unanswered tries to clinch the points.

Reflecting on the selection dilemma facing the Warriors this week, Wilson noted: “We have a few injuries and the usual work and holiday commitments but that’s not unusual at this stage of the season”, he said. “It’s about how you adapt and how people react to these situations that is important.

“We’ve been heartened by the response this week and are looking forward to putting on a performance that will hopefully get us the win we want”.