Featherstone Rovers: Wildie reaction delights boss Sharp

Rovers bounced back from their first Kingstone Press Championship defeat of the season, at home to Rochdale Hornets a week earlier, with an impressive 47-22 victory over Sheffield Eagles at Wakefield Trinity.

“Matty’s response from a disappointing performance last week was very good,” Sharp said. “He copped a fair bit from me, but he stood up as a man and really delivered some great passing and some really good kicks and, in the end, he was a running threat as well.”

Sharp was happy with all his pivotal players.

He added: “Credit goes to the nine, seven and six. [Anthony] Thackeray’s game is maturing and he’s evolving as a footballer.

“He is starting to understand how to play.

“I also thought Keal Carlile went well, he had an amazing game.”

Prop Jack Ormondroyd needed treatment to a knee in the first half, but went back on late in the game.

Rovers lost second-rower Michael Knowles with a dead leg.

Sharp said: “We took some punishment, but we maintained composure, we were strong and we kept carrying the ball hard. I thought we played off a lot of good field position laid on by the forwards.”