Doncaster aim to pile on the agony for Wigan when the Powergen Challenge Cup holders visit their 'House of Pain' on Sunday.

The Warriors suffered a surprise defeat at Castleford in the opening game of the new Super League season and lost skipper Andy Farrell and fellow second rower Mick Cassidy through injury and Great Britain centre Paul Johnson because of suspension.

All of a sudden, what appeared to be a routine-looking fifth-round tie has taken on new significance and Doncaster's charismatic coach St John Ellis believes the holders have every reason to be wary.

"I think people are looking at our game more, with Wigan losing at the weekend and us going to Featherstone and winning," said Ellis. "They are anticipating an upset.

"One of the most influential things in our favour is that Farrell is out - he's a key player and so is Johnson. I think he's a great player."

Farrell kicked five goals and scored one of his side's seven tries when Wigan beat Doncaster 38-2 at the JJB Stadium the last time the two teams met in the Cup three years ago.

Ellis, who took Doncaster to the quarter-finals last years, says the Dragons will be breathing fire at Belle Vue, which he famously christened the 'House of Pain'.

"In the first year I took over I felt we needed a slogan we could have pride in," he explained. "It was geared around being unbeaten at home and it seems to have stuck. The only game we lost all year was in the play-offs.

"Has it worked? Without a doubt. They know they're going to get a physical battle, that's the way we like to play. It's a physical game and, if you win the hitting war, it goes a long way towards winning the game.

"The players do pride themselves in that. Nobody ever has it easy at Doncaster, nobody. So far this year, nobody has scored a try against us at home."

Only six of the 84 previous Challenge Cup meetings between Super League and lower-division clubs have gone the way of the underdogs but four National League outfits have the chance to make names for themselves this weekend.

However, Batley must travel to last year's beaten finalists St Helens on Friday and both Hunslet and Sheffield have conceded home advantage against Bradford and Hull respectively on Sunday.

Having decided not to switch their tie, Doncaster are hoping for a 5,000-plus crowd at the 7,500-capacity ground they share with the town's non-League soccer club.

"It was a temptation but the chairman said he owed it to the fans to keep it here and, from a coaching point of view, that's great because the likelihood of a shock goes up," said Ellis.

"I know I'm going to get something from this week. If you have to motivate the players for this game, you're in the wrong job. It's just a case of letting the leash off.

"We're under no illusions that it's going to be tough but I'm telling the players not to get over-awed and to just enjoy the occasion.

"The pressure is on them, they are expected to win and we are expected to lose. But between that there is 80 minutes of expectation."