Business as usual as Featherstone Rovers prepare for promotion the hard way

Rovers’ hopes of playing in the top-flight next year were dashed when Leigh Centurions were chosen to replace Toronto Wolfpack as the 12th Super League club.

The decision, made by a seven-strong panel including representatives from Super League and the Rugby Football League and chaired by Lord Jonathan Caine, was a blow for Rovers who felt they had put forward a convincing case.

But Webster took the disappointment on the chin and insisted he, his players and staff are all focused on winning the second tier in 2021 and securing a top-flight place that way.

“As a coach I have planned for what I can control, which was that we were going to be in the Championship,” Webster insisted.

He said: “All our prep’ up to now has been in the Championship so it won’t change our preparation at all.

“Well done to Leigh, congratulations to them.

“I hope they make a good fist of it and represent the Championship really well next year in Super League, but we have got a lot to look forward to next year.

“It is our centenary year, it is going to be a great, tough Championship competition and we are going to be fighting tooth and nail to be as high on the ladder as we can.”

Rovers have an impressive stadium, strong support base and deep pool of local talent to draw from.

They were unbeaten before the Championship was halted by coronavirus and reached the Grand Final from fifth place in 2019, winning play-off ties at Leigh, York City Knights and Toulouse Olympique losing to Toronto.

Webster reckons their Super League application was worthwhile, despite the unsuccessful outcome.

He reflected: “The club felt they had a strong bid, but I think every club thought that.

“What I would say is it has been a really good learning curve for all the clubs, us included.

“It has enabled us to identify where we are strong and where we are probably a little bit weak and the club can go away now and work on that.

“But the club thought we had a strong bid and would offer something different to Super League.

“All we can do is put our hand out to Leigh and say well done and the best of luck to them.”

Applications from Bradford Bulls, London Broncos, Toulouse and York were also rejected by the panel who voted unanimously in favour of Leigh.

They will all compete with Rovers in what is set to be a strong Championship next year.

Featherstone are three weeks into pre-season and Webster - who has returned to Rovers on a full-time basis after a spell working as an assistant-coach with Leeds Rhinos - said: “We have taken a very cautious return to training, one, for Covid and two, to try and minimise injuries.

“We will ramp that up in between Christmas and New Year.

“We are still a little bit sceptical about when the start of the season is.

“We haven’t got a date and I didn’t want to flog us to death and then find out we are starting later than we thought.

“It has been a well thought out program from our conditioner and it has been good, we haven’t had any injuries and we have had good numbers so we are looking forward to a tougher training load after Christmas.”

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