Featherstone Rovers boss issues Wembley demand after securing 1895 Cup final spot

Featherstone Rovers boss Paul Cooke has said that “losing isn’t an option” as his side look ahead to the 1895 Cup final. 

They booked their spot at Wembley after a dominant performance over Oldham saw them victorious in the semi-final on Sunday.

The Rovers ran out 40-14 victors at Boundary Park, to secure what will be a third final appearance for Featherstone after victory in 2021 and defeat in 2022.

Speaking to club media after the game, Rovers boss Paul Cooke was delighted with his team’s performance, and was pleased for everyone involved.

“First of all, I’m proud of the group, and I’m proud of the supporters coming over. I’m proud of the team, the players, the staff, the board of directors, I’m just over the moon for everybody,” Cooke said.

“I think that’s as close to the Featherstone that we want to be in terms of the journey we went on from minute zero to minute 80… The players are going to enjoy tonight and rightly so.”

Cooke knows that despite the highs of the victory, the team can’t get carried away and needs to keep full focus on the games ahead.

“We want to bounce into Wembley as opposed to stuttering into it, we’ve got some big games coming up against Batley next week and then Barrow away which will battle-harden us…

“We look forward to Wembley but there’s still a little bit of business to take care of in between and we want to be at full tilt when we do get down there.”

Featherstone Rovers boss chasing first Wembley win

Cooke won the Challenge Cup as a player, but never at the national stadium. When Hull FC beat Leeds in 2005, he scored the match winning try, but that final was held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

He explained how he would love to win at Wembley, a desire he has had since he was a child.

“It was my dream to play in one [Challenge Cup Final] and I did do, but the small regret I have is not being at Wembley climbing up the stairs and lifting the trophy on the balcony.

“To get a chance to go down and do that and the players will be made aware that losing isn’t an option down there for us. 

“We can’t be going down there thinking we’re making numbers up we are going down there to win it.”

Cooke’s Featherstone side will face York Knights at the national stadium, in a repeat of the 2021 final that the Rovers won 41-34.