Championship rugby league club called out by head coach over unpaid wages in message of support for players

One of the English rugby league clubs facing a HMRC order have seen their head coach speak out against them in support of his players.

Sadly, as it stands, three rugby league clubs in England have pending HMRC cases against them with the most high-profile of those being Salford Red Devils after their torrid Super League campaign.

Featherstone Rovers, whose most recent statement forecast a “difficult and uncertain winter”, are one of the other sides with the club in financial crisis and set to face the tax man, however, head coach Paul Cooke has confirmed that he doesn’t even know when that HMRC case will be heard.

That’s something the former Hull FC and Hull KR man revealed on social media as he went out to bat for his players, following a complaint from one of them over unpaid wages.

Rovers’ forward James Glover took to social media to explain that wages for both September and October had gone unpaid, as he made a plea to the RFL.

His head coach has since shared that message with support shown for the players and disdain shared for the club.

Paul Cooke calls out Featherstone Rovers in latest rugby league financial crisis

Glover’s post on X, formerly Twitter, was shared by Cooke who remains the Featherstone Rovers head coach.

The former England international said: “There’s only so long that silence is tolerated by those who are rightfully mentally exhausted by the lack of communication and support.

“Dishonesty and silence should not be tolerated by anyone in any walk of life.

“I love the players at Fev. My thoughts are with them all.”

That post, as well as Glover’s initial post, drew plenty of attention and it saw Cooke engage with some fans in the replies. One of those replies asked when the pending HMRC court date was, with Cooke confirming that he’s not privy to that information.

Responding, he said: “You’d think being coach that info would have been communicated wouldn’t you, to me and the players? But that’d be the right thing to do and that hasn’t happened.”

The Rovers boss also seemed to confirm that new contracts are being offered despite wages remaining unpaid for the past two months.

In one post, he said: “Why is the club offering players contracts to stay and trying to give them a smaller percentage of what they’re owed for September, October and Novembers wages then? Where’s the money coming from if they can’t pay anyone as they said?”

On the back of James Glover’s initial post about unpaid wages, Serious About Rugby League contacted the RFL who had declined to comment on the matter.

Unfortunately, Featherstone are not the only rugby league club having issues with paying wages as former Castleford Tigers man George Griffin has alleged that those who have exited the club have had their contractual wages paid late.

Serious About Rugby League has launched a brand new podcast which can be watched in full on our YouTube channel here.

There’s only so long that silence is tolerated by those who are rightfully mentally exhausted by the lack of communication and support.
Dishonesty and silence should not be tolerated by anyone in any walk of life.
I love the players at Fev, my thoughts are with them all ❤️❤️ https://t.co/3cz2TpwOF1

— Paul Cooke (@pcooke06) October 31, 2025