COUGARS head coach Paul March will send out his players at London Skolars on Saturday with a simple message: Do it for Jonesy.

The iPro Sport Cup semi-final at New River Stadium in the capital comes almost 12 months since Danny Jones passed away following a league match against the Skolars.

The hugely popular Keighley playmaker collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest during the game on May 3, 2015 and was taken to the Royal Free Hospital.

Despite extensive efforts to resuscitate him, Jones died at the hospital and March is preparing his players for an emotionally fraught afternoon on the club’s first return to the ground.

Cougars will leave Keighley at 6.30am on Saturday and March will take his full squad of 36 before assessing the mental state of his players and picking the team on that basis.

He said: “I don’t think getting the players up for it will be a problem, but mentally it’s going to bring back a lot of memories and that’s one of the reasons why we are taking the full squad down with us.

“There may be some people who won’t be able to deal with certain situations, so it gives me the opportunity to change the side if I need to if some players aren’t mentally ready to play.

“People talk about fate, but there is no greater motivation than going down to London and doing a job for Jonesy almost 12 months since that tragic event.

“It will be very emotional and there would be no better way to pay tribute to Jonesy than to win this game and reach the iPro Sport Cup final at Bloomfield Road next month.

“It will be a tough game because of London’s forward pack and they are a handful down there.”

March and his players will lay a wreath to honour the memory of their former team-mate and there will also be a minute’s silence before kick-off.

But Jones’ widow Lizzie and their twins Bobby and Phoebe will not be attending Saturday’s match.

Recalling the events of May 3 last year, March added: “It was a difficult time waiting down in London for Lizzie and the family to arrive.

“There were things going through my head like ‘what can I say to her?’ but Lizzie has been strong and she has had to be because of the twins.

“She’s got through everything because of them and her close family, so if she can do it then we need to play our part too.

“That’s how we have treated it since it’s happened and we will continue in that manner going forward.

“We will leave early doors on Saturday, stop off for some breakfast and to stretch our legs, and then when we arrive the mental and emotional stuff will kick in.

“We will sit down as a group beforehand and make sure we are ready to go out and play. If there are players who aren’t ready, someone else will step in.

“It’s not just the players and staff, there is already one full supporters’ coach going down and talk of a second one going too.”

Cougars had last week off and the squad went out together for a meal last Thursday in a team-bonding exercise.

March added: “We had a good night out, there was about 40 of us, and we’re a very tight-knit squad.

“It’s about making sure the lads are happy and their families too, so that little break last weekend was a big positive.

“I will be playing my strongest possible side on Saturday as we look to do Jonesy proud approaching the anniversary of his passing.”