ANSWERING RHINOS’ CALL
Brett Ferres delighted to be back in Super League with former club
A YEAR ago today, former England forward Brett Ferres helped Leeds Rhinos secure their top flight status in what appeared to be his Super League swansong.
Ferres made his 86th and farewell appearance for Leeds in a vital win at London Broncos on September 1, 2019, which finally extinguished their relegation fears with two games remaining in the season.
That objective accomplished, Ferres stepped down to the Championship himself to begin a new career with Leeds’ partner club Featherstone Rovers, but there was at least one more twist to his 15- year professional career.
While Rovers were contemplating almost a year without a game, after rugby outside the elite level was abandoned for this season due to coronavirus, Ferres’ former club were picking up injuries, particularly in his specialist positions of secondrow and loose- forward.
Stevie Ward has not played since the opening round of Super
League seven months ago tomorrow and James Donaldson, Alex Mellor and Cameron Smith all picked up injuries following the competition’s resumption.
Leeds do have some young prospects coming through, among them England academy internationals Sam Walters and Muizz Mustapha, but they also need experience and Ferres, having played 14 times for his country, as well as countless games with Bradford Bulls, Wakefield Trinity, Castleford Tigers and Huddersfield Giants in Super League, has exactly that.
So yesterday he, unexpectedly, found himself back on familiar ground, training with Leeds at the start of a month- long loan spell.
“I spoke to [ Rhinos coach] Richard Agar and [ director of rugby] Kevin Sinfield a couple of weeks ago,” said Ferres.
“With what’s going on with Covid and stuff it’s a good opportunity to come back and, hopefully, help the cause a little bit.
“With the injuries they have sustained in the pack, they were thinking about getting a couple of forwards in, just to lighten the load and bolster the squad a bit.
“With the games coming up – and the midweek ones – it is good for the club to get some more bodies in.
“I am delighted to come back and help in any way, shape or form I can – whether that is helping the younger players or actually playing.
“It is down to the club what they want to do – they have some really good players in key positions and some cracking young players who could get some game time as well. It is about what’s best for the club, it’s not about me this one.”
Ferres, who featured in Leeds’ 2017 Grand Final win, has not played since February when Rovers signed off for the year with a Challenge Cup win over Hunslet which maintained their 100 per cent winning start.
Initially it was hoped the Championship would resume – or Rovers might take part in the Rugby Football League’s proposed tournament for lower division clubs, which they have since decided against – so Ferres, 34, has kept himself in shape.
He confirmed: “As a group at Fev we’ve been hanging on
for the season to resume and to see what’s going on so we’ve all trained and done our own things at home and when things have been relaxed a bit we’ve been able to do little things together.
“I have been training all the way through the summer and kept ticking over.
“We have had to train and stay pretty ready so I’d like to think I am all right.
“I am pretty fit and I am ready to go, refreshed mentally and the body is as well.”
Ferres’ Rovers team- mate and fellow back- rower James Harrison, son of former Salford, Batley and Halifax coach Karl Harrison, has also signed a one- month loan contract with Leeds.
Both men trained yesterday and Ferres asaid: “I went in and did a bit of testing to see where [ I am] at, then a bit of weights and some training with the boys who
didn’t play [ last weekend] and the injured ones.”
Though Leeds have a game on Thursday when they face Wakefield at Headingley, Ferres insisted: “Hopefully for the club there’s a few players back who have missed the last few weeks and there’s some good young kids there as well so it would be good to see them get a shot.”
Rhinos bounced back from successive defeats with a 50- 12 demolition of Salford three days ago and Ferres believes they are on course for a good season after their recent relegation battles.
“It is so difficult, coming back from the lockdown, but once they get going and get some fit bodies back I think they are going to be all right, I think they will be a force again,” he predicted. “It’s just getting out there and getting those connections and some continuity back in the side.”