Featherstone chairman Mark Campbell has admitted he is hopeful new coach John Duffy can bring an attractive brand of rugby to the Championship club: after saying he hasn’t enjoyed watching Rovers this season despite securing a place in the Qualifiers.
Rovers moved quickly to replace sacked coach Jon Sharp with Swinton boss Duffy only 24 hours after confirming Sharp’s departure from the LD Nutrition Stadium.
And, speaking at the unveiling of Duffy on an initial one-year deal, Campbell admits he is excited to see how Duffy can transform the way Featherstone play.
He said: “I think we’ll now see a brand of rugby which will excite people. This is the best squad I’ve had in ten years at this club but it’s the worst team to watch – I haven’t particularly enjoyed watching us this year. It’s frustrating to watch because I believe there’s more to come out of this team.”
Campbell also admitted that he didn’t believe the club were progressing on the field under Sharp’s stewardship.
“It wasn’t one specific thing, I just couldn’t see us progressing any further,” he said when asked what prompted the decision to part company with Sharp three weeks out from the Qualifiers.
“This season was all about preparing for the Qualifiers and I haven’t seen a lot of preparation. To find out the players are going on holiday when there’s two weeks before the 8s kind of backs that up. John’s meeting the players on Wednesday, he’ll spend all weekend with them and I’m sure he’ll discuss what the plans are.”
And Campbell says he’s got high hopes for what Duffy will bring to Featherstone as they prepare for this weekend’s trip to Toulouse.
He said: “I’ve been really impressed with how Swinton play – especially with the ball. They’ve been the best attacking we’ve faced this year and even in parts of last year.
“I can’t wait for John to start working with the players on the training field and getting the most out of the group. I had a meeting with the players last night which was really positive: this is a good squad here. I’m sure that with John’s nous and his work ethic, he’ll get the best out of them and we’ll see a different type of Featherstone.”
