GOOLE VIKINGS went down 46-6 to Featherstone Rovers last night in their first-ever game as a professional outfit at the Millennium Stadium.
The Vikings went down 10-0 after just six minutes before winger Tom Halliday was sent to the sinbin for a professional foul.
Goole didn’t concede during their time with 12 men, but they did concede another 18 points to be trailing 28-0 at half-time before rallying in the second-half.
For former Hull FC forward and Vikings head coach Scott Taylor, it was a learning curve for his Goole players.
“It was really good, we knew it was going to be a tough test. I’ve played here a few times myself and in these conditions with the downhill and uphill, it was going to be a big test,” Taylor told League Express.
“They are a really good team, they will be expecting to be at the top end of the Championship but we came to have a dig.
“We have got some stuff on footage now, we can take the positives and negatives and work hard on improving.
“There’s a lot I can take from that, I was proud of the lads’ efforts. We took that sinbinning in the first-half but we didn’t concede with 12 men.
“I sort of expected the result because Fev are a top team. I’m just really happy with what we saw from our boys in patches.”
The Vikings are, however, counting the injury cost as Alex Holdstock and Joe Phillips both left the field early with injury.
“I wanted to come out of the game without any injuries but unfortunately Alex Holdstock has done his shoulder and Joe Phillips has done his knee.
“They are two middle men that we can’t afford to lose but we will get some checks on them during the week.
“We kicked off and Gadwin Springer rolled down the field on the first tackle. Alex Holdstock put his body in the way and hurts his shoulder on the first play.”
Ahead of Goole’s Challenge Cup clash with London Broncos in almost two weeks’ time, Taylor is keen to improve.
“I made a lot of changes throughout. I came here with 21 players and I wanted to promise they all had 40 minutes of game time to fight for the shirt for the London game.
“I wanted to see what they are about. It potentially won’t get any tougher than that all season. I do think Fev have a chance of winning the Championship with the squad they have put together.
“They have backed themselves and it’s our first hit out as a team. We will learn from it and improve ahead of the London game.
“The good things is now we have come together in the space of six or seven weeks and I’ve tried to teach them as much as I can.
“But we’ve got footage now which we can watch and clip so I can see where we need to work on for London.”
With injuries to Holdstock and Phillips, will Taylor be attempting to bring in any new blood?
“I think it’s going to be tough at this point in the season with where we have budgeted. It might be a case of one or two loan players as Super League sides are playing their full squads in the next few weeks.
“I think we wanted to look at our squad around February time to potentially add. We have got 24 lads signed up, three were already injured coming here and I will check on the other two. I might have to choose 17 from 19 players.”
