GATESHEAD Thunder have one last chance to avoid finishing a disastrous season without a single victory as they welcome Doncaster to the International Stadium.

Thunder have drawn one and lost the rest of their 19 games in Co-operative Championship One, shipping over 1,000 points and scoring just 254 in reply.

With no relegation from rugby league’s third tier the club can at least breathe easy in the knowledge that they will be back for another crack next season, but head coach Kevin Neighbour did admit that tomorrow’s final whistle would be a welcome one when it blows. “In some ways we will be glad to see the back of this season,” said Neighbour.

“It will allow us to re-assess the squad, decide where we need to strengthen and work on things for next year. But we are improving week on week, and tomorrow is a chance for us to show that.”

Thunder have reported few injury worries going into tomorrow’s 3pm kick-off, with Neighbour stating: “We gave the lads a session off, with having no game last weekend.

“A fair few went down to the Challenge Cup final or had planned weekends away, and plus it was a chance to let a few players recover from injuries. Joe Brown with his ankle was the only real concern for us, but he looks OK now and hopefully he will be able to take the field.”

The season finale has been billed as a Family Fun Day by Gateshead, with entry priced at just £1. Neighbour said: “It would be great to get a decent crowd in, and to attract some new people.

“The whole day is more of just a celebration and a party, rather than one rugby league game, and there are loads of things going on around the actual match. We are encouraging people to come down and have a look, even if they are not already interested in rugby league, and they can see what we have to offer.”