CORNWALL
THE professional game’s newest club made clear strides forward in their second season, going from one win in 2022 to five in 2023, including a first success over a heartlands side when they beat Rochdale at home in the final round. Building on that won’t be easy for Mike Abbott’s men, even with a largely homegrown squad that has another year of experience under their belts, as a Challenge Cup defeat to amateurs York Acorn showed.
Squad: 1 Liam Whitton, 2 George Mitchell, 3 Coby Nichol, 4 Tom Ashton, 5 Harry Aaronson, 6 Cameron Brown, 7 Adam Rusling, 8 Josh Hartshorne, 9 Luke Collins, 10 Harry Boots, 11 Nathan Cullen, 12 Darcy Simpson, 13 David Weetman, 14 Morgan Punchard, 15 Kaine Dimech, 16 Decarlo Trerise, 17 Malikhi Lloyd-Jones, 18 Matt Ross, 19 Liam O’Callaghan, 20 Christian Bannister, 21 Errol Carter, 22 Jake Lloyd, 23 Callum Abbott, 24 Jack Sander, 25 Kyle Marvin, 26 Aaron Small, 27 Jack Ray, 28 Reece Bose.
HUNSLET
HUNSLET finished second in League One last season yet failed to even reach the play-off final after fading at the finish. There has been much change since, with Dean Muir succeeding Swinton-bound Alan Kilshaw as head coach, 14 players leaving and 19 new ones coming in. With 31 players in all, Hunslet have the division’s biggest squad, but with three losses from three tough cup ties they are still awaiting their first win.
Squad: 1 Jimmy Watson, 2 Dan McGrath, 4 Jude Ferreira, 5 Alfie Goddard, 6 Harry Williams, 7 Matty Beharrell, 8 Harvey Hallas, 9 Billy Gaylor, 10 Toby Everett, 11 Josh Jordan-Roberts, 12 Aaron Levy, 13 Michael Knowles, 14 Jack Mallinson, 15 Ross Whitmore, 16 Jordan Syme, 17 Lewis Wray, 18 Cam Berry, 19 Spencer Darley, 20 Rhys Davies, 21 Brandan Wilkinson, 22 Liam Carr, 23 Iwan Orr, 24 Ben Shiels, 25 Aidan Scully, 26 Ethan O’Hanlon, 27 Nathan Carter, 28 Keenan Dyer-Dixon, 29 Donald Kudangirana, 30 Jack Coventry, 31 Jack Render, 32 Will Adams.
KEIGHLEY COUGARS
TWO years ago, Keighley won every League One game, and it didn’t appear then that they would be back in the third tier any time soon. But a disastrous 2023 saw coach Rhys Lovegrove depart, a huge turnover of players and consequently relegation. The club have hopefully learned their lessons – bringing back star Jack Miller is a good sign – and they look well placed for another promotion tilt under former player Matt Foster.
Squad: 1 Brandon Pickersgill, 2 Charlie Graham, 3 Adam Ryder, 4 Junior Sa’u, 5 Billy Walkley, 7 Jack Miller, 8 Lewis Hatton, 9 Kyle Kesik, 10 Mark Ioane, 11 Ellis Robson, 12 Lachlan Lanskey, 13 Dan Parker, 14 Alex Bishop, 15 Aaron Brown, 16 Josh Lynam, 17 Oscar Thomas, 18 Jordan Schofield, 19 Ben Stead, 20 Will Maher, 21 Ben Dean, 22 Codey Downey, 23 Matt Bailey, 25 David Foggin-Johnston, 26 Liam Copland, 27 Max Lambourne.
MIDLANDS HURRICANES
MIDLANDS only finished four points off the League One play-off places last year and might fancy their chances of making the cut this time if the progress made since Mark Dunning’s mid-season arrival as head coach is anything to go by. Three of their five victories came in the final month, including wins at Doncaster and Oldham, and they have recruited real experience in Ross Oakes, Dave Hewitt, Jason Bass and Jake Sweeting.
Squad: 1 Todd Horner, 2 Max Kirkbright, 3 Matty Welham, 4 Ross Oakes, 5 Jason Bass, 6 Jake Sweeting, 7 Dave Hewitt, 8 Jon Luke Kirby, 9 Danny Barcoe, 10 Sam Bowring, 11 Tom Wilkinson, 12 Liam Welham, 13 Brad Clavering, 14 Brad Billsborough, 15 Aaron Willis, 16 Ellis Hobson, 17 Kieran Moran, 18 Elliott Windley, 19 Chris Cullimore, 20 Owen Maull, 21 Courage Mkhulani, 23 Callum McLelland, 24 Marcus Green, 25 Inoke Nakoronivalu, 26 Joe Varo, 27 Peceli Suguvanua, 28 Wame Ratubalavu.
NEWCASTLE THUNDER
MAKING the League One starting line is a success in itself for Newcastle, who initially pulled out of the professional game following Championship relegation. The efforts of Keith Christie and their supporters ensured a rescue of the club, but it only looks like being a long, hard season ahead. Chris Thorman’s side conceded 312 points in their three cup matches, fielding line-ups with very little professional experience.
Squad: The league squad for 2024 had yet to be confirmed at the time of going to press.
NORTH WALES CRUSADERS
NORTH WALES will hope to carry the momentum from last season’s play-off charge and make a more sustained push at the top this time around. In Carl Forster’s first year as player-coach, the itinerant Crusaders only shone after the regular season, winning three successive away games before losing the final at Doncaster. The return of Patrick Ah Van has provided a further lift, following the retirement of club great Rob Massam.
Squad: 1 Owain Abel, 3 Kieran Taylor, 4 Matt Reid, 5 Patrick Ah Van, 6 Dan Coates, 7 Toby Hughes, 8 Ben Evans, 9 Pat Rainford, 10 Chris Barratt, 11 Ryan Ellis, 12 Matty Unsworth, 13 Carl Forster, 14 Paul Nash, 15 Shaun Costello, 16 Jack Holmes, 17 Callum Cameron, 19 Joe Baldwin, 20 Jono Smith, 21 Levy Nzoungou, 22 Adam Carr, 23 Louis Else, 24 Adam Wilkes, 25 Jorge Cabral, 26 Reece Bushell, – Jake Bloxham, – Alex Deery, – Jamie Jenkins, – Kallem Rodgers.
OLDHAM
AFTER the appointment of Sean Long as head coach and the recruitment of a hugely experienced squad by managing director Mike Ford, Oldham are unsurprisingly heavy favourites to win the competition. There is talent across the pitch from Elijah Taylor and Joe Wardle in the pack to Danny Craven pulling the strings and Mo Agoro and Jordan Turner out wide. Cup victories over Halifax and Barrow only confirmed their pedigree.
Squad: 1 Logan Astley, 3 Jordan Turner, 4 Kian Morgan, 5 Mo Agoro, 6 Danny Craven, 7 Jamie Ellis, 8 Craig Kopczak, 9 Matty Wildie, 10 Pat Moran, 11 Joe Wardle, 12 Adam Lawton, 13 Elijah Taylor, 14 Jordan Paga, 15 Josh Johnson, 16 Owen Farnworth, 17 Emmerson Whittel, 18 Jay Chapelhow, 19 Jumah Sambou, 20 George Hirst, 21 Mackenzie Turner, 22 Ted Chapelhow, 23 Jack Johnson, 24 Ben O’Keefe, 25 Bailey Aldridge, 26 Brad Gallagher, 27 Cian Tyrer, 28 Kieran Tyrer.
ROCHDALE HORNETS
THIS season is the time for Rochdale to start delivering. Last year the Hornets were well off the pace, winning only six of 18 games, and they have again undergone a squad overhaul, releasing no fewer than 24 players while bringing in 17. Six of the arrivals are from neighbours Oldham, including the spine pair of Gregg McNally and Martyn Ridyard, who will surely hold the key to success for Gary Thornton’s side.
Squad: 1 Gregg McNally, 2 Dan Nixon, 3 Myles Harrop, 4 Joe Hartley, 5 Tommy Brierley, 6 Martyn Ridyard, 7 Lewis Else, 8 Kenny Baker, 9 Aiden Roden, 10 Luke Nelmes, 11 Ben Forster, 12 Duane Straugheir, 13 AJ Boardman, 14 Matt Wilkinson, 16 Jordan Andrade, 17 Ben Killan, 18 Deane Meadows, 19 Connor Ratcliffe, 20 Toby Brannan, 21 Luke Forber, 22 Kyle Huish, 23 Calum Hughes, 24 Jaden Dayes, 25 Matty Rudd, 26 Max Flanagan, 27 Joe Coope-Franklin, 28 Brad Brennan, 30 Lameck Juma.
WORKINGTON TOWN
ANTHONY MURRAY is a proven promotion challenger in League One but his first season at the Derwent Park helm ended in the disappointment of a week-one play-off elimination. Workington have turned to journeyman ex-NRL and Super League halfback Jarrod Sammut, signed from Barrow, to aid their challenge for promotion, while Chris Taylor and Dave Eccleston look like smart pick-ups from their other Cumbrian rivals, Whitehaven.
Squad: 1 Jordan Burns, 2 Dave Eccleston, 3 Chris Taylor, 4 Jason Mossop, 5 Ethan Bickerdike, 6 Ciaran Walker, 7 Carl Forber, 8 Jordan Thomson, 9 Matty Henson, 10 Stevie Scholey, 11 Malik Steele, 12 Jake Bradley, 13 JJ Key, 14 Blain Marwood, 16 Jack Stephenson, 17 Grant Reid, 18 Liam McNicholas, 19 Connor Saunders, 20 Ellis Archer, 21 Jake Lightowler, 22 Tyler Walton, 23 Kian McPherson, 24 Jonny Hutton, 25 Sean Croston, 26 Luke Charlton, 28 Jarrod Sammut.
