Hull KR and Huddersfield young guns join Championship play-off hopefuls with loans confirmed

Hull KR half-back Joe Thompson and Huddersfield Giants’ utility back Logan Blacker have both joined Championship outfit Dewsbury Rams on initial week-long loan deals.

Playmaker Thompson – who was born and bred in Hull – will turn 20 in September, and is yet to make his professional bow in the game.

Blacker meanwhile doesn’t turn 20 until February, and while he awaits his first-team bow for Super League outfit Huddersfield, he does have three senior appearances to his name in the game.

Those all came in a Workington Town shirt last month as a loanee, with Blacker scoring two tries across his short stint in Cumbria.

Now, Blacker – who signed his first professional deal with Huddersfield in April 2025 – returns to the Championship, and will line up alongside Robins half-back Thompson for Dewsbury.

Hull KR and Huddersfield Giants young guns join Championship play-off hopefuls Dewsbury Rams on short-term loan deals

As announced via social media on Monday evening, the two teenagers link up with the Rams ahead of a double gameweek.

Paul March’s side travelling to Keighley Cougars on Wednesday night before returning home on Sunday afternoon as Hunslet visit the FLAIR Stadium.

Wednesday’s trip to Keighley is a rearranged game, with the original clash having been postponed earlier this month due to the playing surface at Cougar Park being deemed unsafe to play on.

Ahead of this week’s action, play-off hopefuls Dewsbury sit 11th on the Championship ladder with 14 competition points, but have now lost five games on the spin including a narrow 28-24 defeat away at Goole Vikings last weekend.

To compete in the play-offs come the end of the campaign, they will need to finish in the top ten, and it’s Batley Bulldogs that currently occupy tenth spot in the second tier.

The Bulldogs have two more competition points than the Rams to their name, but have played a game more.

After this week’s double-header, Dewsbury return to action away at Whitehaven before concluding their regular season campaign with back-to-back-to-back home games against Rochdale Hornets, Batley and Newcastle Thunder.

As is the case with all loan deals now, the Rams are permitted to extend the stays of Thompson and/or Blacker if they see fit on a week-to-week basis, dependent on the pair’s respective parent clubs agreeing.