Former Super League halfback joins surprise new club

Halfbacks are essential to success in rugby league especially in the Betfred Super League. A good halfback can be the difference between competing at the top and struggling at the bottom as the likes of Jackson Hastings have shown.

Now halfback Johnathon Ford has joined a new club ahead of the 2024 season. The halfback was widely sought after in 2022 after guiding Toulouse Olympique to Super League with the Leigh Leopards and Featherstone Rovers both interested in signing the halfback at the time with the Rovers winning out.

He spent the rest of 2022 with the Rovers as well as the entirety of the 2023 campaign. He was sadly unable to recapture the magic he produced in 2021 when beating Featherstone to secure a Super League position for the French club for the first time ever.

The Rovers missed out on the Championship Grand Final in both seasons Ford was at the club and he was one of 17 players released at the end of the 2023 season alongside the likes of Luke Briscoe and Joey Leilua.

He has now reportedly joined Limoux in the French Elite One Championship. The French club are one of the leading clubs in the French game and have signed Ford to replace James Maloney after his retirement with the former Catalans Dragons halfback heading over to Australia to act as assistant coach at North Queensland Cowboys.

As for Ford’s former club, problems are starting to mount with the Rovers left with less than 20 players ahead of the 2024 campaign with 19 players departing the club since the end of last season.

This is reflective of the club’s stance on IMG believing that the door is now shut on their hopes of promotion with the Rovers reducing their investment in the squad after planning signings such as the arrival of Greg Eden and even a reported move for Blake Austin after leaving Leeds Rhinos and Featherstone Rovers.

Eden eventually signed for their Championship rivals Halifax Panthers ahead of next year replacing the departing Lachlan Walmsley who has joined Wakefield Trinity for next season alongside Jermaine McGillvary.

But Ford won’t be seen in the UK any time soon after this move to France.