Featherstone Rovers have been doing it tough in recent weeks in cup and league.
The West Yorkshire side – having not lost a game before the 1895 Cup Final – went down heavily against their Super League promotion rivals both at Tottenham Hotspur and a fortnight ago on Premier Sport in the league.
Leigh’s huge forward pack and tough outside backs have ruled the roost with owner Derek Beaumont, head of rugby Chris Chester and head coach Adrian Lam getting their recruitment spot on.
The likes of Blake Ferguson, John Asiata, Tom Amone, Edwin Ipape and Nene MacDonald have been incredible since signing on the dotted line at the Leigh Sports and it now seems like Featherstone have to do a lot of catching up if they are to earn promotion to Super League.
Defeat to Batley Bulldogs at the weekend emphasised the task on Brian McDermott’s hands as his Featherstone side now sit three points behind Leigh at the top of the table.
As such, according to Bradford Bulls reporter – The Game Caller – Rovers were allegedly chasing some top-flight quality in the shape of a Super League forward.
“Mark Campbell is on about bringing in someone from Hull FC,” The Game Caller referred to on The Full Eighty Minutes podcast.
The name that has been bandied about in recent weeks and months has been Josh Bowden, however, a senior source at Featherstone Rovers has told Serious About Rugby League that there is nothing in that whatsoever.
It is unsurprising that Rovers are considering a new signing given the ever-burgeoning injury list that Rovers are currently suffering with – the likes of Craig Kopczak, James Lockwood and Jesse Sene-Lefao have been sidelined for a considerable length of time which hasn’t helped McDermott in the race to the top.
Featherstone certainly do need new blood following the disappointment of recent weeks – and quickly – but it won’t be Bowden.
