Featherstone Rovers stormed the Championship table in 2023 however they fell short when it came to the play-offs and that resulted in the club seeing a mass exodus at the end of the season, and now two more players have followed.
Rovers won the Championship by 12 clear points but fell to eventual play-off champions London Broncos which left Featherstone set for yet another season in the second tier. As such at the end of the campaign the Flat Cappers saw a mass departure of players with 17 players leaving Millennium Stadium.
It was huge turnover and since then the club have been trying to build a squad capable of challenging for 2024 but they’ve now been hit with another huge double blow that Chris Hankinson and Ellis Longstaff have both left the club.
That’s something that Rovers confirmed on social media, taking to X to confirm the pair’s departure.
Their post read: “The Club can confirm that Chris Hankinson has left by the Club mutual agreement to pursue other opportunities.
“Ellis Longstaff has also left by mutual agreement to take some time out from the game.
“We thank them for their contributions.”
Hankinson was coming off an impressive season with Rovers after joining from Toulouse. The centre missed early parts of the campaign due to injury but when fit was an excellent outlet and ended with a tally of seven tries in his 18 games.
The 30-year-old will be on the eyes of plenty of the Championship’s top teams and even some Super League sides, with a possible return to London a move that could make sense for both parties. Hankinson played the 2021 season with the Broncos scoring ten tries in 19.
As for 21-year-old Longstaff the club confirmed he’s looking to take time away from the game. He had joined Rovers from Salford last year after previous time at both Warrington and Hull FC. All at Serious About Rugby League offer Ellis the best in his time away from the sport.
The two departures don’t make good reading for Rovers though who have seen mammoth turnover from 2o23. Back in October the club confirmed the departures of; Luke Briscoe, Mathieu Cozza, Matty Wildie, Joey Leilua, Dane Chisholm, Mark Kheirallah, John Davies, Craig Hall, Junior Moors, Arama Hau, James Lockwood, Elijah Taylor, Daniel Smith, Tyla Hepi, Craig Kopczak & Johnathon Ford, Luke Cooper.
They have brought in Leigh Leopards’ Ben Reynolds and Greg Minikin from Warrington Wolves however the club could have difficulty piecing together chemistry given the massive overhaul.