BEFORE and during the 2023 Championship season, Featherstone Rovers were heavy favourites to earn promotion to Super League.
Losing just two games out of a possible 27, Rovers were in the driving seat with promotion looking more likely than in any previous season.
However, a semi-final defeat at home to London Broncos ended any hope of a Super League place for 2024.
For former Rovers player, Elijah Taylor, that 36-26 defeat still hurts as the new Oldham signing believes there should be more reward for Championship teams finishing top.
“That last game was heartbreaking, I loved my time at Featherstone. There was such a good bunch of lads, we worked so hard on and off the field to ensure we had a successful season. Then we just came up against Corey Norman who played one of his best games I’ve seen him play in a while,” Taylor told League Express.
“It still hurts, thinking we had a great team and it’s disappointing with the competition that you can be consistent for the whole season and then still don’t get promoted. I think we were eight points clear at the top, whilst in League One the top two go up.
“It was a bit of a headscratcher, there is no reward for being consistent all year, we tried out hardest but it wasn’t to be.
“It’s the only game in the UK where you only get promoted by winning a final at the top. Consider football, if you are consistent at the top you should automatically get the opportunity to go up.
“I’m taking nothing away from London though, they played brilliant that night. Credit to them.”
Featherstone’s season took a different turn altogether when, with less than two months to go until the end of the season, head coach Sean Long was given his marching orders.
Taylor explains how the decision was a shock and that the Featherstone players didn’t really understand it.
“Personally that (Long’s dismissal) was confusing, we were eight points clear at the top of the ladder. Decisions made above me and made by the people in charge, they thought it would be best for the club but the players didn’t think that.
“It came as a shock for all of us as we had worked so hard in pre-season, we only lost two games. Look at Fev over the last ten years, they have had ten coaches so if you can’t draw conclusions from that, I don’t know.”
Taylor is, however, excited to be linking up with Long again at Oldham.
“Sean understands the game, he is a former player and he understands the toll on the body it takes. He understands the simplicity of how rugby league can be played. He is easy to work with and I know what he needs.
“Just his experience, he has been there done that, I had a chat with him before going to Fev and it was great. He has an opportunity now at Oldham, we are building a good squad here.”
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