Tom goes toe to toe against his old pals
A WEEK today, when Rotherham launch their Championship campaign at home against Nottingham, will be an emotional experience for Titans’ flanker Tom Calladine.
The 28-year-old has just been appointed Rotherham captain but what makes the opening Championship match even more special for Calladine is that he’s leading the side against his former club for whom he made more than 80 appearances, some as captain.
“For me, this is a great game,” he told TRP. “I had four full seasons at Nottingham before coming to Rotherham in 2015.The two clubs are similar in that we don’t have as much money and can’t compete against the bigger clubs.
“It’s a derby and then our next game is against Doncaster, another derby. After finishing bottom last season, we aim to finish mid-table and push on next season.
“I’ve never left anything out on the field as a player, so I’m going to lead by example and set the standards as captain. I’ve quite a lot of experience as a skipper.
“I’ve got to make sure we win our home matches and make the right decisions under pressure.
After such a poor 2017 season, Rotherham’s new coach, Andy Key, rebuilt the squad by recruiting 18 new players and keeping only 12. By contrast, Nottingham’s head coach, Ian Costello, whose side finished ninth, retained 85 per cent of his staff.
Among his recruits, who include dual registered players from Wasps and Northampton, is the former Rotherham back Sean Scanlon.
Costello said: “Sean’s very experienced in the Championship. He knows Rotherham. They have a tight pitch and are very physical.
“Our big issue last season was our inconsistency, so our aim is to be consistent and not have so many highs and lows. I’ve strengthened the pack so we can compete physically at the set-piece and in the collision area.
“I’ve brought in prop Rory Burke from Munster, hooker Jake Farnworth, two props from Wasps in Tom West and David Langley and two forwards from Northampton who are dual registered, lock Alex Moon and back row Will Allman.
“I’ve added to our depth so we don’t struggle in wet conditions.
Adding even more interest to the clash is the probability that the visitors will be captained by forward Ben Morris, part of the Rotherham squad which reached the play-offs back in 2015.