KICK OFF Featherstone Rovers Coach Ford is rebuilding Rovers as club is ‘on a journey’ in 2024
As the final hooter called time on Featherstone Rovers’ 2023 Championship campaign, a dejected set of players slumped to their knees on the Millennium Stadium turf.
It wasn’t supposed to end like this. Not in the play-off semi-final. Not against a London Broncos side Fev had convincingly beaten 90-16 on aggregate over the course of the regular league season.
Destination Super League had slipped through their grasp yet again as the brilliant Broncos brushed Rovers aside 36-26.
Nine of the starting 13 on that Sunday evening in October left Post Office Road by the end of the month. A rebuild of the team had begun.
The likes of Luke Briscoe, Mathieu Cozza, Matty Wildie, Joey Leilua, Mark Kheirallah, John Davies, Craig Hall, Junior Moors, Craig Kopczak and Johnathon Ford have been replaced by exciting young talent in Harry Bowes, Manoa Wacokecoke, Connor Wynne, Jayden Tanner and, more recently, Paul Turner from the NRL.
Head coach James Ford confirmed the club is “on a journey” in 2024.
Handed the reins after Sean Long’s surprising sacking in August, Ford, who was brought in as director of rugby last May, says there are “no hopes” this season - although last Sunday’s Challenge Cup victory over local rivals Wakefield Trinity will certainly raise fans’ expectations going into their first league game of the season at Batley Bulldogs.
Ford said: “There are no hopes or targets.
"We are on a journey. We are rebuilding the club and rebuilding the team.
"We had 20-odd players who left. We have got a more than a competent team at the minute but we will be adding to it.
“We will strengthen our combinations and relationships across the club and we will continue to get better. The team that you see at the minute and the team we will be at the end of the season, there will be a significant difference in terms of ability.”
Asked if he was excited to
The team that you see at the minute and the team we will be at the end of the season, there will be a significant difference in terms of ability.”
be leading the team after having a full pre-season to put his own stamp on this new-look Rovers outfit, the former York coach said: “That’s what every coach wants but I knew the challenge I had last year when I came in and coached the team that somebody else had recruited and I felt like we had enough to get the job done.
"Unfortunately we didn’t. I didn’t shy away from that.
“Ultimately I was responsible for building a new team with a significantly different strategy. This is a really sustainable one for Featherstone Rovers and this will help Featherstone Rovers as a club to be here for the long term.
“I am excited about this journey and I am excited about the challenge it presents.”
So while Ford is making no promises of a Grand Final victory later this year, he hopes the Featherstone fans can continue to play “a massive part” in the team’s growth.
“They are incredibly passionate here,” said Ford, who started his playing career at the club in 2003.
“They let you know when they are not happy and they let you know when they are happy. I am pretty cool with that.
"When I have not done something well myself I am pretty hard on myself, so I get it.”
He added: “I hope they had a really good evening after the Wakefield win – going into work with their mates who support Wakey with a big smile on their face.
“There was plenty of emotion and the fans played a massive part in us getting that job done last week.”