DONCASTER chief executive Carl Hall wants nothing less than title success next season – and he hopes it is enough to take the club into Super League.
While beaten 78-6 by the all-conquering London Broncos at the beginning of this month, reaching the Grand Final was a notable achievement by the Dons.
Three years after earning promotion from League One, Richard Horne’s side improved on successive eighth-place finishes to come fourth in the newly-merged Championship, then saw off Barrow Raiders (twice) and Newcastle Thunder in the play-offs.
London are still waiting to discover if they will be promoted, a prospect which would make a title tilt even more realistic for Doncaster, as well as giving them hope of a place at the top table beyond that.
Owner Terry Bramall is said to be prepared to back a Super League-level budget as and when Doncaster, whose only previous top-flight season (when there have been split divisions) came in 1994-95, earn their place.
While the current method is through the grading system, in which the Dons jumped from 23rd to 17th place this year by earning 9.21 points out of 20, Hall supports a return to on-field promotion and relegation.
“I want the club to keep progressing, and to do that we need to be in the final and winning,” he said.
“It’s been a wonderful year for us, and the plan will be to get up to Super League, hopefully (at the end of) next year.”
Bureta Faraimo, Loui McConnell, Andre Savelio, Gadwin Springer and Alex Sutcliffe have all been released, joining Dewsbury Rams-bound Pauli Pauli.
Hall added: “We need to make sure we bring quality to the club. We’re in talks with a few, but they’ve got to be better than the players who leave us.
“Once we get some clarity from the RFL on what’s going on, we may readjust our (recruitment) plans. If we know there is promotion and relegation and we can get up, we’re ready to go.”
