Featherstone have been Super League ready for “four or five” years

Drew Darbyshire
Featherstone Rovers 2021 squad

Featherstone chairman Mark Campbell insists the Rovers are ready for Super League, saying the club’s potential is ‘second to none’.

On Monday, Rovers appointed former Leeds and Toronto Wolfpack boss Brian McDermott as their new head coach. He succeeds James Webster, who parted ways with the club last week by mutual consent.

Featherstone’s one and only objective is to achieve promotion to Super League, and Campbell insists they would be ready to make the step up.

He said: “It has been ready for Super League for the last four or five years.

“Every year we have progressively got better and better off the field. That has jumped another 30% since Martin (Vickers) has been involved.

“The potential at the club is second to none.

“I know we are between Castleford and Wakefield but it is a huge rugby league area, this. Everyone lives and breathes rugby league. It is at the forefront of what everyone talks about. If you drive around, you don’t see people in football tops. You see people in Featherstone Rovers tops. That’s not just in Featherstone but in this whole area, venturing over towards Goole and Selby.

“This club is set up for Super League. The stadium, the structure, the finances – we’ve made it a self sustaining business which can deliver every year.”

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Featherstone Rovers boss delighted with Brian McDermott appointment

Campbell believes the appointment of McDermott stands them in good stead to clinch promotion to the top flight.

On appointing McDermott, Campbell said: “It wasn’t a difficult decision.

“I knew James wasn’t carrying on at Featherstone for 2022 and obviously I knew Brian was available. I knew he wouldn’t be available for that long because there aren’t that many coaches of his quality around so I knew we had to move quick. We’re absolutely delighted to get Brian on board at Featherstone Rovers.

“His track record and his ability to win big games will stand us in good stead for promotion next year.”

READ MORE: Brian McDermott outlines only objective after becoming Featherstone boss