Featherstone Rovers take shot at IMG ahead of 2024 season

Featherstone Rovers are looking for a happier 2024 after the heartbreak of again missing out on Super League.

The Rovers finished top of the league and even changed coaches from Sean Long to James Ford in the hopes of securing promotion but were stunned by fifth placed London Broncos in the semi-finals who secured their place in Super League the week after.

Now the club have issued a new year statement promising improvement in 2024:

“Happy New Year to all our supporters. I do hope you have had a well-deserved break and are looking forward to a joyous new year with your own family and the Rovers family. It doesn’t seem almost three months since that extremely disappointing result against London Broncos, and we are grateful for the support we have had from our fans as we have galvanised as a Club and prepare for a new year, new start and new opportunities.

“We have transformed our playing squad for 2024. We had to mount the challenge we did during the last two years before the IMG changes kicked in, and we spent more in the Club’s history on the playing squad we assembled, but that strategy ultimately failed, and we have had to rebuild a squad with players that have real hunger, and desire to perform to their best for this historic Club.

“Under James Ford’s leadership, he has brought together the best talent from our 2023 squad, added to its undoubted quality, such as Ben Reynolds and Danny Addy and introduced younger players who want to develop as players as the Club goes from strength to strength. Our partnership with Hull KR was much sought after by the Club as we believe that Hull KR have invested in one of the strongest and deepest squads in the British game. Once the pre-season friendlies are complete and we head to the 1895 Cup, and the league season, those players will start to be released to our Club and with other additions also set to arrive at a similar time, I’m sure our fans will be excited about the team that will take the field for Rovers.”

This came as the club confirmed plans for a Fans Forum which also saw them take a shot at IMG’s complicated scoring system:

“Fans will be able to hear much more about our 2024 plans at our Fans Forum at the Club at 7pm for a 7.30pm start where we have assembled a top panel of Board Members, Mark Campbell and Steven Clough, Head Coach James Ford and his Assistants Ian Hardman and Graham Steadman and senior players Ben Reynolds and Danny Addy. We feel this is an important session where we can set out our strategy not just for 2024 but beyond and give fans a good understanding of what they can look forward to next season. We hope for good attendance during this holiday week; you can even get to sample our new range of beers, etc, following our new contract with Molson Coors. What better way to start the new year?

“We will chat in the meeting about hot topics in the game, like the IMG review, and what that means to Clubs like ours moving forward; we won’t guarantee, however, that we will try to make sense of the scoring process! We will leave that to poor old London Broncos!”