Doncaster RLFC lose Championship opener at Featherstone Rovers

The Dons never looked like repeating their rare victory at the Post Office Road ground last season when going down 22-4 against traditional ‘big hitters’ Featherstone Rovers on a cold, grey afternoon.

Although it will be of little consolation for the Dons, few clubs are likely to come away with the points from Post Office Road this season.

Rovers struggled to make last season’s play-offs after finishing top the year before, following a mass exodus of players for financial reasons. But on the evidence of this display they will be strong title challengers this time around following some impressive recruitment.

The home side had played several more pre-season and Challenge Cup games than Richard Horne’s side and they were quickly out of the blocks opening up an early 10-0 lead despite electing to play up the slope after winning the toss.

Given how dominant the big Featherstone pack were, and the fact that their half-backs were controlling the game with their ball-handling skills and tactical kicking, there were ominous signs for the Dons at that stage of the game.

They were repeatedly forced to start their sets deep in their own half and rarely troubled the Featherstone line as they struggled to find any attacking momentum in the muddy conditions – though things did improve following the introduction of Pauli Pauli and Brad Knowles off the bench in the second quarter.

They did, however, deserve credit for denying Rovers another score before the break which meant that they were still in the game at the start of the second half. Though the fact that they had to play up the slope didn’t help their cause.

Rovers again dominated territory after the break but the Dons continued to defend doggedly until conceding a third try which effectively put the result beyond doubt.

Full-back Craig Hall twice denied the home side with try-saving interventions, though he will possibly have been disappointed with Rovers’ fourth try from a kick.

Just when it was looking as though the Dons would end the game pointless, Hall touched down following their best move of the match in the closing stages.

But it was too little, too late.

Dons: Hall, Gebbie, Lyne, Hey, Faraimo, Robinson, Bowden, Burns, Matagi, Jones, Sutcliffe, McConnell. Subs: Knowles, Misky, Pauli, Smeaton. 18th man: Boas.