DONCASTER coach Richard Horne believes his newly-promoted team have a lot to offer the Championship after a long wait to get there.
IT’S been a long time coming – but after more than six years of trying, two League One play-off final defeats and plenty of patience from his chief executive Carl Hall, coach Richard Horne has finally guided Doncaster back to the Championship.
And while the wait has been frustrating, as the South Yorkshire side prepare for a first second-tier campaign since 2015, the former Hull FC and Great Britain star believes both he and the club are in a far better position to face the second-tier challenges to come than they would have been after losing at Workington in the 2021 decider, or going down at Swinton the following year.
An 18-6 win over North Wales Crusaders in September’s promotion showdown at the Eco-Power Stadium they share with Doncaster Rovers Football Club eventually did the trick, sending Horne and Co up alongside champions Dewsbury after they had finished third in the table and beaten fourth-placed Oldham at home and second-placed Hunslet away in the earlier stages of the play-offs.
“I think the experience of being in previous play-offs and finals helped us, and I think we were a better side than we had been in the previous two seasons, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sweating a bit,” admits the 41-year-old, who succeeded Gary Thornton at the helm in June 2017.
“I was thinking to myself ‘can I get us over the line this time?’, and I guess there was a little bit of me wondering what would happen if I didn’t.
“But thankfully we came through, and I have to give praise first and foremost to Carl (Hall), who took a chance on me in the first place and the stuck with me, then the players, whose commitment is immense, and my staff.”
Horne’s assistant is Chris Plume, who previously worked with Brian McDermott at both Leeds and Toronto Wolfpack, and Horne explains: “He’s been great, he takes a lot of the load off me and that has really helped me develop.
“I had started my coaching career at Hull after retiring as a player, and spent a period splitting my time between both clubs before focusing on Doncaster, and it’s been a real learning curve.
“One of the biggest things was getting used to working with part-time players, because I’d had many years in a full-time environment.
“It really opened my eyes to what the lads in the Championship and League One go through because they’re expected to work for eight hours then come in and train at almost the same intensity as Super League guys, and hats off to them for doing it.
“Hopefully I’ve learned to take that into account when planning the sessions. I’ve certainly picked up things along the way, and like I say, we wouldn’t have got to where we are without the people who help me – Chris, the conditioners Dave (Cooke) and Ed (Miles) and our physio Ian (Fairbank) among them.
“We all work well together and we’re all on the same page, which means there are no mixed messages either on the training ground or during matches. We’re all pulling together and that makes life a lot easier for me.
“At the same time, Carl has been going all out to build the club off the pitch, and he’s now making sure we are in a position to tick as many of the IMG boxes as we possibly can.
“I think we’ve got a great base for growing the club and moving forward.
“We have a great facility in the stadium, we’re based in a decent-sized city with not too many clubs close by, and we’re finally getting into local schools to promote both the game and the club.
“Doncaster has been predominantly about football in the past, but I think there is room for both sports, and we can live side by side and help each other in some areas.
“Younger people, whether playing or watching, are the way forward, and when they get involved, hopefully their parents do too.
“We have a strong plan for moving forward and growing as a sustainable club, and my main part in that is ensuring we have a competitive side, because providing a good product on the pitch helps bring in fans and sponsors.
“We’re under no illusions – the Championship is a big step up and the first objective is to ensure we stay there, but we have been backed in building up the squad to help us meet the challenge, and I’m pleased with both our retentions and the players we’ve managed to bring in.”
Joining promotion-winning skipper Sam Smeaton and his fellow second row Brett Ferres and halfbacks Ben Johnston and Connor Robinson are the likes of backs Craig Hall and Luke Briscoe (both from Featherstone), Reece Lyne (Wakefield) and Josh Guzdek (Sheffield), forwards Suaia Matagi (Castleford), Tyla Hepi (Featherstone) and Pauli Pauli (York) and versatile pair Alex Sutcliffe (Castleford) and Joe Lovodua (Hull).
“We felt adding experience was really important,” continues Horne. “We were offered all manner of players, including some promising youngsters, but I don’t think we’re yet at the stage of developing too many lads.
“As I said, the first objective is establishing ourselves at a level which is new to myself and some of the existing squad.
“With our signings having played in the Championship and in some cases Super League, they know what the level is all about and how to deal with the demands of testing matches week in, week out.
“That knowledge and the kind of culture they bring will help the players, and it will help myself and my staff too.
“Hopefully we’re in a good position to have a good crack at it, and we’re certainly looking forward to the season.”
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 494 (March 2024)
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