Ex-St Helens and Bradford Bulls star Leon Pryce returns to coaching alongside former Leeds Rhinos man

FEATHERSTONE boss Sean Long has named his Rovers backroom team ahead of the 2023 Championship season – with Leon Pryce and Ian Hardman appointed as his assistant coaches.

The former Saints trio will link up once again while the Rovers have also retained Head of Strength and Conditioning Lee Paterson as well as Head of Analysis Tom Colley who have been on World Cup duty with Scotland and Fiji respectively.

“The opportunity to get back into a rugby environment and work alongside Sean Long was one that I could not turn down.” Said Pryce, who was previously the Head Coach of Workington Town.

“I am excited to bring my experience from being a player that has played at various different clubs and as a coach from my time with Workington.

“I am really looking forward to working with a good group of players and a good club that is definitely pushing for promotion into Super League.

“The Championship is a lot of a tougher division than what people realise, there are a lot of teams that are more than capable of turning each other over, so it will be difficult but with the right preperation we will be able to give it our best shot.”

Pryce played alongside both Long and Hardman at St Helens and he believes that the winning culture of that side can be brought into the club.

“It was definitely a winning environment at Saints where we won a lot of trophies and we were very successful but Sean has gone on to coach at a very high level for a number of years and I am sure that what he has learnt will transfer over into Featherstone.”

“Last season there was a lot of disappointment, I was here commentating on the Semi Final against Batley where they just missed out but this is a clean slate and a fresh start so hopefully the supporters can be optimistic and get behind the team like they always do and we will certainly be giving it our all to succeed this year.”