2024 thread on other Championship teams

[fevnut]

Doncaster have also released their squad numbers and I can see 10 in there who have played for FEV!!

 

1. Elliot Hall

2. Tom Halliday

3. Brad Hey

4. Reece Lyne

5. Luke Briscoe

6. Ben Johnston

7. Connor Robinson

8. Keelan Foster

9. Greg Burns

10. Suaia Matagi

11. Sam Smeaton

12. Alex Sutcliffe

13. Loui McConnell

14. Alex Holdstock

15. Joe Lovodua

16. Pauli Pauli

17. Josh Guzdek

18. Jose Kenga

19. Craig Hall

20. Brad Knowles

21. Tyla Hepi

22. Misi Taulapapa

23. Jason Tali

24. Watson Boas

27. Brett Ferres

[POR]

1 hour ago, fevnut said:

Doncaster have also released their squad numbers and I can see 10 in there who have played for FEV!!

Doncaster RLFC known as the Dons now with the FEV contingent will they become the Doppelgangers    

[Blind side johnny]

Well, seeing as Fev have spent the last ten seasons signing every promising Championship player they could it is hardly a surprise that there are so many "ex Fev" players in other squads is it? It would be informative to know just how many players have passed through the club in the last ten seasons.

[The Phantom Horseman]

17 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Well, seeing as Fev have spent the last ten seasons signing every promising Championship player they could it is hardly a surprise that there are so many "ex Fev" players in other squads is it? It would be informative to know just how many players have passed through the club in the last ten seasons.

That was definitely true until about 5 years ago but since then Fev's modus operandi has been more about signing veteran ex-SL players, in fact of those 10 in the Doncaster squad I think only one was signed from another Championship team.

There are a few reasons for that, partly that it became hard for us to hang on to those young signings for long ourselves (eg James Harrison and Frankie Halton), but also the ever-decreasing player pool meant that most promising youngsters in the Championship were quickly snapped up by SL clubs. It now seems to be Hull KR, not Fev, that sign up Dewsbury's best player each year for instance!

[Fevrover]

47 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Well, seeing as Fev have spent the last ten seasons signing every promising Championship player they could it is hardly a surprise that there are so many "ex Fev" players in other squads is it? It would be informative to know just how many players have passed through the club in the last ten seasons.

Dose that answer your question BSJ ?  The answer below your question.

Edited December 27, 2023 by Fevrover

[marklaspalmas]

59 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Well, seeing as Fev have spent the last ten seasons signing every promising Championship player they could it is hardly a surprise that there are so many "ex Fev" players in other squads is it? It would be informative to know just how many players have passed through the club in the last ten seasons.

I have the stats somewhere put I severely doubt Featherstone will have used notably more players than any other Championship club over the last ten years. Every club has a significant turnover of players every year. 

[Blind side johnny]

2 hours ago, marklaspalmas said:

I have the stats somewhere put I severely doubt Featherstone will have used notably more players than any other Championship club over the last ten years. Every club has a significant turnover of players every year. 

Indeed. At most Championship matches the pre-game fun is counting those "players who used to play for us". The fact that many of them have also played for another four or five clubs seems to elude some fans of all clubs. They aren't quite in the Terry Clawson mould just yet, but some can't be far off.

[The Phantom Horseman]

10 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Indeed. At most Championship matches the pre-game fun is counting those "players who used to play for us". The fact that many of them have also played for another four or five clubs seems to elude some fans of all clubs.

Playing for four or five clubs is old hat, the pre-fun game for us now is "players who have had four or five stints with us". Ben Reynolds' 3rd "debut" for us could well be overshadowed by Kyle Trout's fourth "debut".

[Gooleboy]

2 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

Indeed. At most Championship matches the pre-game fun is counting those "players who used to play for us". The fact that many of them have also played for another four or five clubs seems to elude some fans of all clubs. They aren't quite in the Terry Clawson mould just yet, but some can't be far off.

Maybe in the Clawson mode for changing clubs, but not as a player.

[Blind side johnny]

45 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

Maybe in the Clawson mode for changing clubs, but not as a player.

Quite.

[fevnut]

12 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

Well, seeing as Fev have spent the last ten seasons signing every promising Championship player they could it is hardly a surprise that there are so many "ex Fev" players in other squads is it? It would be informative to know just how many players have passed through the club in the last ten seasons.

The answer is that in the ten seasons from 2014 to 2023 there have been 176 players who have appeared for Fev. In alphabetical order:

Jordan Abdull	2016
Mitch Achurch	2016
Caleb Aekins	2023
Wellington Albert	2019-2020
Chris Annakin	2014
Joe Arundel	2015
Jack Ashworth	2022
Logan Astley	2023
Cory Aston	2017
Yusuf Aydin	2023
Jordan Baldwinson	2015-2017
James Barraclough	2018
Jimmy Beckett	2019-2021
Gavin Bennion	2014
Ben Blackmore	2014-2021
Liam Blockley	2016
Ase Boas	2019
Watson Boas	2019
Danny Bridge	2014
Luke Briscoe	2016-2023
Jack Broadbent	2019-2022
Sam Brooks	2017-2018
Fa'amanu Brown	2021
Conor Carey	2019-2020
Keal Carlile	2017-2018
Garreth Carvell	2015
Michael Channing	2016
Dane Chisholm	2019-2023
Jamel Chisholm	2014
Mitchell Clark	2018
Paul Cooke	2015
Luke Cooper	2015-2023
Jamie Cording	2014-2016
Jack Coventry	2015-2016
Mathieu Cozza	2023
Danny Craven	2016
Jason Crookes	2014
Adam Cuthbertson	2022
Will Dagger	2019-2021
John Davies	2016-2023
Brad Day	2019-2023
Sam Day	2015-2017
Riley Dean	2023
Brett Delaney	2017
Jacob Doyle	2021
James Duckworth	2016-2017
Tyler Dupree	2018
Brad Dwyer	2018
Brad England	2015
Sam Eseh	2022
Kyle Evans	2023
Connor Farrell	2017-2018
Dale Ferguson	2019-2021
Brett Ferres	2020-2022
Callum Field	2021-2022
George Flanagan	2014
Dan Fleming	2022-2023
Johnathon Ford	2022-2023
Alex Foster	2015
Jamie Foster	2016
Brandan French	2020
Gareth Gale	2020-2023
Bayley Gill	2022
Pita Godinet	2015
Ashton Golding	2016-2019
Chris Green	2014
Darrell Griffin	2016-2017
Craig Hall	2020-2023
Frankie Halton	2021
Ash Handley	2016-2018
Chris Hankinson	2023
Josh Hardcastle	2017-2023
James Harrison	2019-2021
Arama Hau	2023
Tyla Hepi	2022
Keegan Hirst	2014
Jy Hitchcox	2015
Gareth Hock	2018
Tom Holmes	2018-2022
Tom Holroyd	2020
Daniel Igbinedion	2017
Sam Irwin	2015
Ryley Jacks	2022
Corey Johnson	2019
Jack Johnson	2019
Kyran Johnson	2015-2017
Tom Johnstone	2015
Connor Jones	2019-2023
Louis Jouffret	2020
Liam Kent	2014
Mark Kheirallah	2022-2023
Cameron King	2019
Brad Knowles	2015-2018
Michael Knowles	2017
Craig Kopczak	2021-2023
Thomas Lacans	2023
Joey Leilua	2022-2023
Jordan Lilley	2016-2018
Tom Lineham	2022
Ellis Longstaff	2023
Darcy Lussick	2021
Curtis MacDonald	2016
Reni Maitua	2015
Makahesi Makatoa	2019
Rémy Marginet	2015
Danny Maskill	2018-2019
Ben Mathiou	2022
Loui McConnell	2021-2022
Jimmy McDaniel	2019
Callum McLelland	2019-2020
James Mendeika	2014-2015
Will Milner	2015-2016
Thomas Minns	2015-2021
Gareth Moore	2014-2015
Richard Moore	2017-2018
Junior Moors	2021-2023
Anthony Mullally	2016-2017
Muizz Mustapha	2018
Harry Newman	2018-2019
Jarrod O'Connor	2020
Mikolaj Oledzki	2017-2018
Sam Ottewell	2020
Dean Parata	2020-2021
Nathaniel Peteru	2018
Shaun Pick	2014
Brandon Pickersgill	2022-2023
Morgan Punchard	2019
Jack Render	2019
Ben Reynolds	2019
Jorge Richardson	2019
Martyn Ridyard	2018
Shaun Robinson	2018
Colton Roche	2014-2016
Matt Ryan	2015
Jarrod Sammut	2014
Jesse Sene-Lefao	2022
Harry Siejka	2014
Brad Singleton	2019
Aaron Smith	2018
Cameron Smith	2018-2019
Daniel Smith	2014-2023
Morgan Smith	2022
Steve Snitch	2015-2016
Harvey Spence	2021
Gadwin Springer	2021-2023
Joe Summers	2021
Alec Susino	2020
Alex Sutcliffe	2019-2020
Liam Sutcliffe	2020
Jake Sweeting	2020-2021
Paul Sykes	2015
Misi Taulapapa	2016-2018
Elijah Taylor	2023
Luke Teasdale	2014-2015
Thompson Teteh	2019
James Thornton	2018
Mason Tonks	2015
Kyle Trout	2014-2022
Owen Trout	2019
Jansin Turgut	2018
Calum Turner	2019
Scott Turner	2016-2017
Etuate Uaisele	2014
Chris Ulugia	2017
Ryan Verlinden	2015
Albert Vete	2023
Alex Walker	2021
Josh Walters	2016-2019
Jason Walton	2017-2018
Robbie Ward	2016
Kris Welham	2021
Perry Whiteley	2021
Dakota Whylie	2018
Matty Wildie	2017-2023
Paul Wood	2015
McKenzie Yei	2023

[marklaspalmas]

Great list Chris, although Curtis MacDonald never played for us.

A very high proportion of players who only played in one season, a significant number of players who've had more than one spell at the club, and a very small number of "home grown" players. We've probably had more local lads Briscoe, Ferguson, Reynolds come to us from other clubs rather than joining the club directly (Cooper, Gale, Hardcastle).

[The Phantom Horseman]

11 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Great list Chris, although Curtis MacDonald never played for us.

 

MacDonald I believe belongs to a separate category of players who were named in the 17 but never got on the field. He was an unused bench player in home game against Leigh.

That tactic was a feature of Jon Sharp's incumbency, I seem to remember Sam Day being an unused sub on a number if occasions.

Edited December 28, 2023 by The Phantom Horseman

[sentoffagain2]

18 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

Indeed. At most Championship matches the pre-game fun is counting those "players who used to play for us". The fact that many of them have also played for another four or five clubs seems to elude some fans of all clubs. They aren't quite in the Terry Clawson mould just yet, but some can't be far off.

              Think Terry had 14 moves in his career.playing for a couple of clubs twice.Older supporters will notice he never played for Cas and there is a story about why.He even refused to play for a combined Fev and Cas team against the Australian tourists.He was a character on and off the field.

[fevnut]

1 hour ago, sentoffagain2 said:

              Think Terry had 14 moves in his career.playing for a couple of clubs twice.Older supporters will notice he never played for Cas and there is a story about why.He even refused to play for a combined Fev and Cas team against the Australian tourists.He was a character on and off the field.

Featherstone 1957-1965 and 1978 (in the 1977/78 and 1978/79 seasons)

Edited December 28, 2023 by fevnut
Correction

[POR]

1 hour ago, sentoffagain2 said:

              Think Terry had 14 moves in his career.playing for a couple of clubs twice.Older supporters will notice he never played for Cas and there is a story about why.He even refused to play for a combined Fev and Cas team against the Australian tourists.He was a character on and off the field.

Back end of his career S he played a few games for  wakey huddersfield and hull and retired 1980  aged 40

[marklaspalmas]

3 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

MacDonald I believe belongs to a separate category of players who were named in the 17 but never got on the field. He was an unused bench player in home game against Leigh.

That tactic was a feature of Jon Sharp's incumbency, I seem to remember Sam Day being an unused sub on a number if occasions.

Yes indeed. There's more players than I imagined in that niche club. Jamie Rooney's brother for one.

[Blind side johnny]

On 28/12/2023 at 11:58, fevnut said:

Featherstone 1957-1965 and 1978 (in the 1977/78 and 1978/79 seasons)

All detailed in one of the best RL autobiographies ever: "All The Wrong Moves".

[marklaspalmas]

38 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

All detailed in one of the best RL autobiographies ever: "All The Wrong Moves".

Cracking read that.

[sentoffagain2]

On 28/12/2023 at 12:06, POR said:

Back end of his career S he played a few games for  wakey huddersfield and hull and retired 1980  aged 40

   About 5 years before he died Terry and Alan Marchant came to Sheffield dog track.I worked paying out or doing the floor for one of the bookies.So i went over and had a chat knowing them both from years ago.Me and Alan had a laugh about when i backed one of his greyhounds at Whitwood before Alans team got their money on.Alan grabbed hold of me and we ended up rolling about on the floor scrapping.I would have been in my early twenties and Alan had just retired from playing for Hunslet.A crowd gathered round watching and up strides Barry Kear ex Cas Salford and Hull Fc who pulled us up and said that's enough.Good lad was Barry and a very good forward.I went in the Liberal Club in Normanton as my mate was a member and Terry's dad Fred was steward so i got to know him quite well.Happy days never a dull moment.

[fevnut]

On 28/12/2023 at 12:06, POR said:

Back end of his career S he played a few games for  wakey huddersfield and hull and retired 1980  aged 40

Thank you for that. I had never noticed the three games he played for Huddersfield in 1979 but have now added it to the records

[The Phantom Horseman]

So first post this year on this thread which meandered slightly at the end of last year...I watched Wakefield's game against Wigan which is now available on YouTube.

It's hard to take too much from pre-season games - apart from the fact that our floodlights are no longer the laughing stock of the Championship  - and Wigan were missing a lot of their keyplayers in pivotal positions, and seemed to treat the game as something of a hit-out, as is often the case.

They did field quite a strong pack however and Wakefield coped with them quite comfortably, winning the arm wrestle throughout, Wigan didn't really get into the game at all. It's difficult to see Wakefield losing many this year, hardly surprising as they've spent around three times anyone else in the comp (probably the biggest disparity ever, maybe barring Toronto) and are full time, that is bound to tell and they look to be very solid across the park and although their starting pack has a few ageing players they have signed a bunch of younger forwards too.

Whether they quite have the star quality of the Leigh 2022 team I'm not so sure (Ipape, Asiata, Ferguson, Lam etc) and it will be interesting to see if they can develop into that sort of team, or whether they are more likely to be a bit like us last year - generally dominant but beatable if a team can manage to hang with them and go toe for toe.

Bradford look likely to be the "benchmark" team this year - their squad hasn't changed much and we know what to expect from them - so the season-opener at Belle Vue should tell us whether the comp this year is going to be a one-way romp for Wakefield or whether other teams can shake them up.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Not a Championship team any more but a quirky stat, London who are giving Hull a fright this afternoon have now scored 5 tries this season and all 5 have come from kicks.

And again not a Championship team but Oldham at admittedly a very early stage of the season not really living up to expectations under Sean Long, being crushed at York today, though they do have one or two missing including Kopczak and Taylor.

Elsewhere Bradford look to be struggling to put away Swinton, who seem to be going very well so far this season.

[haskey]

Looks like London give Hull one hell of a fright . Last minute try to win it, Can Smith keep his job at Hull methinks.?

[sentoffagain2]

        Went to the Sheffield v Batley game and in perfect conditions for Rugby League both teams made plenty of mistakes.Batleys passing and ball control was poor.Eagles never looked like losing and in the centre Chris Welham had a good game,looking leaner and fitter than when he played for Rovers.Eagles played their usual style passing the ball quickly and making far more ground in most sets than Batley.They could be a top 5 team.Batley look a bit disjointed despite some decent individual efforts and most of their threat comes from kicks.Not as dominant in the middle as previous Batley sides.I did have a fancy that Swinton would turn Bradford over this afternoon but i got that one wrong.