KEIGHLEY COUGARS favourite James Feather will be hoping for a better finish to the 2022 season after agreeing to delay his retirement again to spend a 20th season with the club.
The 37-year-old made his 348th appearance for the club in the agonising 26-28 defeat to Doncaster in October’s Preliminary Final, meaning they missed out on promotion to the Championship.
It’s a defeat he holds himself responsible for and admits dedicating another 12-months to the cause, in whatever way he is needed, could prove the perfect way to put that right.
“This is 100 percent it, it’s my last contract and the last time I’ll go round again,” said Feather.
“I got the chance again to play last season when Covid put us down to our last 17 fit players and I really enjoyed it and felt I had more to give.
“But the way we lost that semi-final was hard and it felt like it was my fault. I gave away that penalty that led to Doncaster’s final try and I didn’t want to go out on that knowing that I’d cost us a place in the final and a chance of going up.
“If we’d got promoted I would have finished there and then, but I want to put that wrong right. Even if that’s just spending 12-months on the training field, I will have still have some involvement with the team and the players as we try to get into the Championship.
“A lot of my job this season will be working with those younger players in the squad and push them on and play to their highest ability. I’m more used to working with them on the field rather than trying to coach them from the stands.
“So if I do that job properly we should be winning every game with them playing and, in a way, hopefully I won’t be needed.
“But if I am I will put my hand up and give it my all as I always have.”
Joining Feather in the squad next season will be Nathan Roebuck, who has signed from Warrington Wolves on a two-year deal, and former Hull KR prop Anesu Mudoti
Roebuck will be looking to earn some much-needed game time after spending time on loan at Leigh, Salford and Newcastle last season, but only featuring once for Thunder in all that time, while Mudoti already has an idea of what to expect in League 1 after featuring ten times for Doncaster last season.
Scotland international Kieran Moran, has also agreed a new one-year deal with the club.
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DONCASTER chief executive Carl Hall believes that there is potential for more new faces to arrive at the club, but maybe not until closer to kick-off.
The South Yorkshire club have so far only announced Connor Robinson as a new recruit for 2022, with Hall saying others could follow, but for now he is happy to bide his time and see how the leagues above pan out.
With League 1 not kicking off until late March, and Super League and Championship starting earlier, Hall believes more players could become available before his side kick-off their league campaign against Midlands Hurricanes on Sunday March 27.
“Speaking to agents there are not a great deal of players available just now so we might have to be a bit cute with it and see what comes out of Super League once they get started,” said Hall.
“The longer term loan market will certainly be an option for us this year. A lot of the Super League clubs have signed some top-end championship players who are looking to have a crack at Super League and if some of them don’t break into the first team there maybe something there for us to look at.
“There are also a lot of Championship clubs who, when the new league structure of two tens was talked about, signed a big squad to try and make the top seven. With that structure change not happening, whether they have now got some players available only time will tell.
“There is no big rush so we can sit back for a little bit and wait to see how things pan out above us.”
While no further new recruits have been announced by Doncaster, re-signings are continuing with secondrow and Young Player of the Year Alex Holdstock, Scotland international loose-forward Brandan Wilkinson and backrow Aaron York all agreeing one-year extensions.
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HUNSLET have added some Welsh flavour to their squad with the signing of West Wales Raiders duo Rowland Kaye and Charley Bodman.
22-year-old Kaye returned to the Raiders mid-way through the season after a spell playing in France and went on to make six appearances – including an eye-catching performance against Hunslet in the penultimate game of the season in September.
Bodman, a 19-year-old second row or loose forward made his debut against Hunslet in the short-lived 2020 season and scored his first try for the club against the same opposition in 2021.
“Rowland first came to my attention when I was previewing West Wales before our fixture at the back end of the season,” said Hunslet head coach Alan Kilshaw.
“He was always a standout for them, in a well-beaten team. His efforts, and work off the ball, were really noticeable.
“The fact that he’s prepared to move from his home country for an opportunity with us shows his intent and I’m sure he will be a fans’ favourite.
“He’s a great size and can play equally well in the centre or back row. Although this signing doesn’t align with our local talent philosophy the fact that Rowland is prepared to make the move shows great commitment and I hope we can all adopt him as one of our own.
“Charley, like Rowland, has shown huge commitment to the club by relocating and changing employment. He is another player who is prepared to come out of his comfort zone and come into a new environment.
“I’m looking forward to helping him progress and I’m sure he will develop physically as well, as he’s still at a young age.”
Maltese international Dean Zammit has also re-signed for the club, despite not making a single appearance for them last season.
Having originally signed midway through last season the 28-year-old was set to make his debut against London Skolars in mid-August. However an accident a work ended his season before it had even begun.
“Dean was very unfortunate last season,” added Kilshaw.
“I’m happy to give him an opportunity, and his experience will be vital with the younger members of the group.”
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SWINTON LIONS coach Allan Coleman is grateful for the extra preparation time his side have ahead of the new season.
In recent years the new campaign has tended to kick-off in early February, with 2021 being the exception following the disruption caused by the pandemic the previous year. While the Championship kicks off at that same time this year, with Super League expected to do the same, League 1 doesn’t get underway until the Lions host West Wales Raiders on Sunday, March 27th.
“We’re back in training now and we’ll be in on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings,” said Coleman.
“We have spoken about it as a staff and the later start is exciting because sometime you go into a pre-season having to try and get everything into a certain number of sessions. You want to be playing how you want to play, defend how want to defend and as a part time club there is sometimes just not enough time to do everything you want to do and get it all in.
“But we feel that our process this year is being calm, and controlled and going through everything we want to do and get that nailed before we move on and the March start gives us a bit more time to do that.”
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Two more familiar faces will line up for ROCHDALE HORNETS in 2022 with centre Ben Calland signing a new 12-month contract and forward Tom Whur returning to the club on a season-long loan from Hull KR.
Injuries restricted Calland, younger brother of head coach Matt Calland, to just 10 appearances in 2021, and he is hoping a much more settled campaign will work wonders for him and the club.
“Due to all the injuries, suspensions and Covid, there was a lot of rotation in the team last season which made it hard to build combinations,” said the younger Calland.
“We only saw what the team was capable of in the last few games of the season and it’s something we’ll look to build on in the next few months.
“Personally, I’d love to have a much more enjoyable season. I picked up a few unfortunate knocks last year and it was really frustrating having to watch as many games from the sidelines as I did.”
Meanwhile Whur featured twice whilst on a short term loan from the Super League outfit last season, scoring a try in the 22-4 win over London Skolars.
“I had a two-week loan last season and I really enjoyed my time here and being around the lads,” added Whur.
“I was shy on game time last season, so I’m looking forward to, hopefully, getting some regular minutes and in turn help the club achieve their goal of promotion.
This experience is what I need to advance in the sport and I’m really excited to get stuck in.”
Also joining Hornets are former Swinton halfback Cobi Green and backrow Louis Singleton, who made eight appearances for London Skolars in 2021.
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Following a successful return to action in late August, Jack Houghton has been handed a new deal by NORTH WALES CRUSADERS.
The 24-year-old linked back up with the club for a second spell mid-way through last year after taking some time away from the game to focus on his mental health.
With 66 appearances to date in his Crusaders career, the Widnes Vikings academy graduate will be hoping to kick on further in 2022.
“I was gutted that the season ended as, when I played, I felt like I was ready again,” said Houghton.
“My comeback was all about me playing with a smile on my face and, if I got game time, I got game time.
“I probably surprised myself a bit and now it’s about trying to make sure I play every week.
“I wouldn’t have signed anywhere else because Muzza (coach – Anthony Murray) gave me a chance again and I’ll always repay him.
“He’s a really good bloke and it’s great to be able to train, play and learn under him.”
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MIDLANDS HURRICANES coach Richard Squires has said the arrival of Benn Hardcastle will add some vital experience to his squad.
The halfback has had some time away from the game since the pandemic restricted him to just one appearance for Keighley in the abandoned 2020 season.
The 31-year-old is a proven points scorer, scoring a club record 449 points in 55 games for Newcastle Thunder between 2016 and 2017. He then moved to the Cougars where he got 442 points in 40 games.
“Benn has been around the game for a while now and I know him from my time with Hull FC,” said Squires.
“He was with Hull KR working in their community department at the time and so we often had stuff to do with each other in those roles.
“He actually spoke to me half way through last season about coming in, but with Covid and such like it wasn’t really possible and we didn’t really have the budget for it.
“But he’s a massive signing for us now. He’s an extra experienced body to have available and he knows the game and knows how to score points. Whatever club he’s been at have been in the top four so hopefully he can bring that wealth of knowledge on the field and off it with his experience of working for KR in the community department.
“Hopefully we can draw on all of that down the line.”
Joining Hardcastle in the squad will be Brad Clavering, Sam Bowring and Jack Dawson, all of whom have signed new deals, while experienced loose-forward Anthony Bowman has moved from Batley.
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OLDHAM have added some vast experience to their pack with the signing of former Wigan, Leigh London Broncos and Swinton prop Tom Spencer.
The 30-year old also spent time on loan at Oldham 2016 and will now reunite with Stuart Littler, who was his coach during a loan spell at Swinton last season.
“Tom has loads of experience in the Championship, mainly at Leigh and London Broncos, and he’ll add a lot of know-how to the pack,” said Oldham coach Stuart Littler.
“He knows how I want to play the game and he is really enthusiastic about what we are trying to do at Oldham.
“He’s coming for the right reasons, like all the other lads, and he also has a point to prove.”
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LONDON SKOLARS coach Joe Mbu has said he will bring some of the practices he has learnt in his time in rugby union to the club as he embarks on his first pre-season with them in seven years.
Mbu originally left the Skolars in 2015 and while he has stayed involved with Rugby League by coaching the Nigerian national side, he has coached at club level in the 15-a-side code in the capital.
“I have enjoyed myself coaching, and still playing where I can, at lower level rugby union and it has been really enriching,” said Mbu.
“I have learnt a lot from that and the experience that I have gained will put me in a strong position coming back into Rugby League.
“In union they did something that was a bit different to what I was used to in Rugby League. At times, training was like being involved in a game and we would play a game on training night.
“That was an experience for me because we tend not to do that too often in Rugby League. But we got from that and it was something I took away from that code. I won’t necessarily apply that all the time, but it has definitely given me something to look in to and consider as part of my coaching experience at Skolars.”
Mbu has continued to add to his squad ahead of the new season with the re-signing of Scotland Students representative Josh Dalton.
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WEST WALES RAIDERS chief executive Peter Tiffin has big hopes that the club can have a strong presence in a future World Cup tournament.
With a new coaching team incoming to work alongside assistant Ben Flower, the club will once again be pushing for a largely Welsh-influenced squad.
“Ben has come back and he has links with probably everyone in the game because of where he’s been and what he’s done in his career,” said Tiffin.
“He has already spoken to some other guys that have been at the club before and has put it to them so that they know they are always welcome to come back down here and try and build a stronger club
“Myself and Andrew (Thorne – chairman) know how important it is to build a strong Welsh foundations and we want to build a strong Welsh club so that we can help build a stronger international side for the next World Cup in 2025.”
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Professional Rugby League will arrive in CORNWALL in April when the newly-named Midlands Hurricanes make the trip south in Round Three of the new season.
After enjoying a bye on the weekend the season kicks-off, Cornwall then travel to North Wales Crusaders before playing in front of their own fans for the first time on Sunday, April 10.
“To say we are excited about the upcoming 2022 Betfred League 1 season is an understatement,” said general manager Gareth Reid, who is urging all locals to come out and support the new venture.
“We very much look forward to weaving ourselves into the rich tapestry of the history of Rugby League.
“There are already a number of games that we are earmarking on the calendar as crucial encounters that will determine a lot of the club’s success in our inaugural season, but one thing is absolutely for sure that every single game will count.
“And, we will need the support of everyone within and beyond Cornwall to help drive the squad on.”
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