FEATHERSTONE ROVERS have nothing to fear.
That’s the message from coach Marie Colley as her team prepare to start their season in the toughest possible way.
After returning to the top flight following one year away, Rovers begin their 2026 campaign by hosting last season’s treble winners Wigan on Saturday in a Challenge Cup group game.
When the two sides met in the league in 2024, Wigan posted 104 points against Featherstone over the two matches and have got stronger since.
So while acknowledging her side will be going into the clash as underdogs, Colley thinks that will give her squad an element of freedom on the day.
“Now the season is here, there is a real a mix of excitement and nervousness, but we are all hungry and ready to play,” she said.
“We probably couldn’t have had a more difficult team to be playing than Wigan in game one, but it’s David and Goliath, you never say never.
“We’re on our own ground and we’ll just be excited to be together on the field again, playing against the big teams.
“Following that, we have a long trip down to Cardiff in the second match, so we have really been thrown in at the deep end. They’ll be two tough tests, but it’s two we’re really relishing.
“When you look at what Wigan achieved last year, they were absolutely the best team in the competition by far.
“Yes we’ve got some girls who are a little bit nervous, but we’ve got nothing to lose and nothing to fear.
“We’re really going to be able to test ourselves, and it will be good, as staff, to see how we come up against a very quick, strong Wigan team, and where we are leading into the league season.”