JASON Tovey has the chance to stake a claim for a fresh Newport Gwent Dragons deal – or put himself in the shop window – by starring in the European Rugby Challenge Cup shootout at Sale on Thursday night.

The 26-year-old, the leading points scorer in the Dragons' history, is out of contract at the end of the season and talks over a renewal have been held with his representatives.

Those discussions will be helped if Tovey picks up where he left off last weekend.

Tovey has endured a frustrating season but will be a key figure over the next three months because of Dorian Jones' torn pectoral muscle.

The fly-half took his chance against Castres at Rodney Parade when pulling the strings expertly in a 31-18 success that secured a place in the quarter-finals.

It earned a second man of the match award on the spin after his clean sweep of a try, four conversions, a penalty and drop goal in the stunning success in Pau on his previous start.

Tovey is poised for a run in the XV and knows that he needs to keep hitting the heights.

"Dorian was playing well before his injury and I was just having 20 minutes here and there. I'm looking forward to playing now with Angus O'Brien putting pressure on me," said Tovey, who has scored 930 points for the Dragons.

"I need a bit of consistency now and to put in these performances week in, week out"

Tovey is aiming for another strong display against Sale on Thursday to try and help secure a home quarter-final in the Challenge Cup.

"That'd be huge for this club again. Look what we did last year when we played Cardiff Blues. It was a sell-out and the whole of Gwent got behind us.

"It's up to us to make sure we get the home quarter-final, then hopefully a semi-final at home."

The Dragons took the spoils with ease when the sides met at Rodney Parade in November with tries by flanker Ollie Griffiths, lock Rynard Landman, centre Adam Hughes and lock Matthew Screech.

However, it promises to be a much sterner challenge in Salford with the hosts, who are eighth in the Aviva Premiership, having brought back their first-teamers given that the competition carries the prize of a Champions Cup spot.

The Sharks team that won convincingly in Pau last weekend featured England new boy Josh Beaumont and England old boy Danny Cipriani, who Tovey will line up opposite.

"He is a quality players with a point to prove after Eddie Jones didn't pick him in the England squad. He is a dangerous player and we will look forward to trying to shut him down," said Tovey.

"I don't think we can take a lot from the Rodney Parade win because they've changed their team completely and brought their stars back in. That's good for us because we usually perform against the better teams. It's up to us to step up to the plate."