Featherstone Rovers 2024 Squad

[jamescolin]

On recent experience he is our only goal kicker. We will hold on I reckon.

[Wolfey Rovers]

It's all abit amateurist from the club regarding the squad this year. Guess we will find out with the team sheet Sunday.

[POR]

29 minutes ago, Wolfey Rovers said:

It's all abit amateurist from the club regarding the squad this year. Guess we will find out with the team sheet Sunday.

Don't worry  W according to our CEO we will all be excited with the team that takes the field 

[J Phil Loxton]

It's like going home expecting a surprise party but nobody jumps from behind the curtain. 

[sentoffagain2]

    Not expecting too much this season over the last 12 years we have been rather spoiled.Just think it is less than 2 years ago that we beat Leigh in our first home game of the season.Look where they are now compared with us and all it took was  a million quid from Deggsy.

[georgeb1]

6 hours ago, sentoffagain2 said:

    Not expecting too much this season over the last 12 years we have been rather spoiled.Just think it is less than 2 years ago that we beat Leigh in our first home game of the season.Look where they are now compared with us and all it took was  a million quid from Deggsy.

Be very surprised if you don,t make top 4 , yes you have been spoilt by squad size in the past but theres some quality in that first 17, doubt you will go under the radar as most coaches will be very wary.

[The Phantom Horseman]

10 hours ago, sentoffagain2 said:

    Not expecting too much this season over the last 12 years we have been rather spoiled.Just think it is less than 2 years ago that we beat Leigh in our first home game of the season.Look where they are now compared with us and all it took was  a million quid from Deggsy.

I agree with this but I'd add we've been particularly spoiled over the last two years (in terms of money spent anyway) as the club went all out to try and achieve promotion with the door clearly set to be slammed in our faces after 2023.

Of course we have had some relatively lean years during that 12-year period such as 2015 and 2018 when we failed to reach the play-offs on each occasion and ended up in the Championship Shield, and it's hard not to forget the doom and gloom that preceded the 2019 season.

I think it's easy to say that "all it took was a million quid from Degsy" but the fact is after years of terrible recruitment decisions Leigh in the shape of Lam & Chester got it right in spectacular fashion that year. They signed 5 players either before or during that Championship season who went on to make the SL Dream team the following year, I doubt any team in the last 25 years has had such a good 12 months of recruitment.

The club's clearly at a relatively low ebb in terms of both finance and overall morale right now but we've been here before and hopefully we can bounce back and have some good moments this season. It's funny, last season we were dominant in the league and finished 12 points clear yet I can't remember many games where I felt absolutely buzzing afterwards. Hopefully we get one or two of those this year.

 

[Fevrover]

23 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

I agree with this but I'd add we've been particularly spoiled over the last two years (in terms of money spent anyway) as the club went all out to try and achieve promotion with the door clearly set to be slammed in our faces after 2023.

Of course we have had some relatively lean years during that 12-year period such as 2015 and 2018 when we failed to reach the play-offs on each occasion and ended up in the Championship Shield, and it's hard not to forget the doom and gloom that preceded the 2019 season.

I think it's easy to say that "all it took was a million quid from Degsy" but the fact is after years of terrible recruitment decisions Leigh in the shape of Lam & Chester got it right in spectacular fashion that year. They signed 5 players either before or during that Championship season who went on to make the SL Dream team the following year, I doubt any team in the last 25 years has had such a good 12 months of recruitment.

The club's clearly at a relatively low ebb in terms of both finance and overall morale right now but we've been here before and hopefully we can bounce back and have some good moments this season. It's funny, last season we were dominant in the league and finished 12 points clear yet I can't remember many games where I felt absolutely buzzing afterwards. Hopefully we get one or two of those this 

Well summed up that. We've got to face the fact things have changed and not just for Featherstone. 

Edited January 24 by Fevrover

[POR]

15 hours ago, Wolfey Rovers said:

It's all abit amateurist from the club regarding the squad this year

Reading between the lines W we  could have been given a list of HKR players who will always be made available throughout the season and so  may have tailored our recruitment to accommodate them

[The Phantom Horseman]

25 minutes ago, POR said:

Reading between the lines W we  could have been given a list of HKR players who will always be made available throughout the season and so  may have tailored our recruitment to accommodate them

I think this is probably correct, acknowledging that "will always be made available" is probably a stretch as nobody can predict where injuries will strike.

For instance, we haven't recruited a specialist or experienced wing on the opposite flank to Gaz Gale, but HKR have Evalds, Hall and Burgess who are all likely to be in front of Lewis Senior and it's not hard to see him starting with us on a regular basis and end up being almost like a season-long loan.

 

 

[POR]

15 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

 

For instance, we haven't recruited a specialist or experienced wing on the opposite flank to Gaz Gale, but HKR have Evalds, Hall and Burgess who are all likely to be in front of Lewis Senior and it's not hard to see him starting with us on a regular basis and end up being almost like a season-long loan.

s

 

That's what a meant by players always being made available barring a boat load of injuries players who will be way down the pecking order funny thing PH a winger was my first thoughts

Edited January 24 by POR

[sentoffagain2]

     Leigh did hit the jackpot with the players brought in.And they reaped the rewards and deserve their place in SL it will be cruel if they  don't  stay up due to the IMG marking system.I still think the players let us down last season they were good enough and we had strength in depth.But to go through the season without a settled half back partnership was our undoing.

[Total Rugby League]

FEATHERSTONE ROVERS have swooped for Bradford Bulls forward Brad England. England came through the Castleford system and played five games for Rovers and seven for...

View the full article

[gazza77]

I'd suggest anyone who says they predicted this is fibbing.

 

 

[The Phantom Horseman]

43 minutes ago, gazza77 said:

I'd suggest anyone who says they predicted this is fibbing.

 

 

Fair signing that in a position where we don't have much depth. Not sure what the story is behind it (a fan from another club suggested it was about to happen on the Bulls forum the other day) but he gives 100% and plays above his weight.

[Bulls2487]

48 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Fair signing that in a position where we don't have much depth. Not sure what the story is behind it (a fan from another club suggested it was about to happen on the Bulls forum the other day) but he gives 100% and plays above his weight.

Good player on his day.

Gets injured fairly often.

18 16 and 13 are his games for Bulls over last 3 season. 

Was back up for us so maybe why he has chose to leave.

 

Edited January 24 by Bulls2487

[Catflap]

19 minutes ago, Bulls2487 said:

Good player on his day.

Gets injured fairly often.

18 16 and 13 are his games for Bulls over last 3 season. 

Was back up for us so maybe why he has chose to leave.

 

How can you say he was back up when Bulls fans are saying he's been your best player in the friendlies and you're now left short?! I feel that Bulls may be freeing some cash up for a fresh face maybe?! Or is he mates with Fordy??

[Monkeymagic22]

Wasn’t he also given the No.11 shirt, which kind of indicates he was likely to be in the starting 13.

[POR]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

. Not sure what the story is behind it .

Nor me PH when he signed his extension in august he said 

Me  and my family are really happy here we love the fans and the atmosphere they create so there's no other club I want to play at I've got a young boy on the way and can't wait to bring him to his first Bulls game

NOW

As a local lad it’s a great move for me and my family. 

[Catflap]

6 minutes ago, POR said:

Nor me PH when he signed his extension in august he said 

Me  and my family are really happy here we love the fans and the atmosphere they create so there's no other club I want to play at I've got a young boy on the way and can't wait to bring him to his first Bulls game

NOW

As a local lad it’s a great move for me and my family. 

I think every player in the game says this kind of stuff about their new/current club. 

[Bulls2487]

45 minutes ago, Catflap said:

How can you say he was back up when Bulls fans are saying he's been your best player in the friendlies and you're now left short?! I feel that Bulls may be freeing some cash up for a fresh face maybe?! Or is he mates with Fordy??

Because we have Smith,Butler, Davies,Appo,Arundel,Waites

Butler

Davies

Smith

Will start

Appo/Arundel on the bench.

I don't think we are left short with the above options.

England would be picked after these.

 

 

 

 

 

[POR]

37 minutes ago, Catflap said:

I think every player in the game says this kind of stuff about their new/current club. 

I know C people will say owt to suit the situation

[Bulls2487]

53 minutes ago, Monkeymagic22 said:

Wasn’t he also given the No.11 shirt, which kind of indicates he was likely to be in the starting 13.

He had it last season too

O'Caroll has kept majority of starting squad numbers the same as said didn't want players coming in and taking numbers.

 

[POR]

6 minutes ago, Bulls2487 said:

Because we have Smith,Butler, Davies,Appo,Arundel,Waites

Butler

Davies

Smith

Will start

Appo/Arundel on the bench.

I don't think we are left short with the above options.

England would be picked after these.

Who's Will start B

Edited January 24 by POR

[Catflap]

9 minutes ago, Bulls2487 said:

Because we have Smith,Butler, Davies,Appo,Arundel,Waites

Butler

Davies

Smith

Will start

Appo/Arundel on the bench.

I don't think we are left short with the above options.

England would be picked after these.

 

 

 

 

 

Davies is a very good impact player from the bench too, so still some good options there then. Reading between the lines it seems BE isn't in the coaches immediate plans, so can't blame him wanting regular game time.