Nothing would top promotion with Featherstone Rovers for former Melbourne Storm half-back Dane Chisholm

MAKING his NRL debut for Melbourne Storm sticks out as Dane Chisholm’s career highlight but he admits nothing would be able to top promotion with Featherstone Rovers.
TRY TIME: Featherstone Rovers half-back Dane Chisholm. Picture: Dec Hayes.TRY TIME: Featherstone Rovers half-back Dane Chisholm. Picture: Dec Hayes.
TRY TIME: Featherstone Rovers half-back Dane Chisholm. Picture: Dec Hayes.

The 29-year-old played an influential role as Featherstone made it to the Million Pound Game from fifth spot in 2019, only to be denied promotion to Super League as they lost to Toronto Wolfpack in Canada.

Chisholm made his first and only appearance for the Storm in 2011 before playing the majority of his rugby in the New South Wales Cup, Australia’s equivalent to the Championship.

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The French international got his first taste of the English game when he joined Hull KR on loan for seven games in 2015, scoring three tries.

RUNNING CLEAR: Dane Chisholm. Picture: Dec Hayes.RUNNING CLEAR: Dane Chisholm. Picture: Dec Hayes.
RUNNING CLEAR: Dane Chisholm. Picture: Dec Hayes.

After two spells at Bradford Bulls and a stint at Sheffield Eagles, he joined Featherstone on loan last spring before signing a three-year contract at Post Office Road last summer.

“I went to Fev Easter weekend last year and I loved every second of it,” he said.

“Last year we gave the final series a pretty good crack and I have enjoyed it massively. The players are a big part of that.

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“I hadn’t had a taste of English footy when I came to Hull KR. I was at the Canterbury Bulldogs but I wasn’t playing NRL, I wasn’t getting a start. I was just playing New South Wales Cup.

“I played in the NSW comp for a long time.

“I wasn’t keen to keep playing there and I had the opportunity to come to Hull KR and play under Chris Chester and I loved it.

“I had such a good time.”

Leaving school, Chisholm joined Melbourne’s Under-20s side before earning a two-year contract in the first-grade team.

“I left school and joined Melbourne Storm in the U20s comp and was lucky enough to go on and win a premiership at that level” he continued.

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“From there I was lucky enough to get a deal upgraded to a two-year first-grade contract.

“That is when I moved into the NSW comp and then made my NRL debut for Melbourne against Canberra.

“That is probably the highlight of my career, making my debut, but I didn’t get a chance to play another game after that.”

Featherstone were unbeaten when the season was brought to an abrupt halt by the outbreak of the coronavirus.

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Leigh Centurions and Toulouse Olympique have also enjoyed unbeaten starts to the Championship campaign and Chisholm believes Rovers are in a great position to challenge for promotion again.

“It would be massive, to get a club like Featherstone into Super League, with so many loyal supporters,” he added.

“We were in the situation last year and we feel short. To go that one step further would definitely be the highlight of my career, it would be massive and it would have to top making my Storm debut. It would be huge.”

Chisholm has missed three games through suspension and added: “Personally, I still have a bit of work to do but the team was really starting to hit its stride and were playing some good footy.”