Doncaster sport in 2021: What is the outlook for Rovers, Belles, Knights and Dons?

Following a turbulent 2020, we examine the year ahead for Rovers, Belles, Knights and Dons…

DONCASTER ROVERS

To be fourth in League One, and within touching distance of the top two, at the turn of such a difficult year is really testament to the excellent job that Darren Moore is doing.

It also reflects favourably on last summer’s recruitment and the positive, welcoming culture that exists at the club – one which encourages learning and development.

Rovers are lucky to have Moore at the helm and he deserves as much help as possible during the current transfer window to try and cement a top six finish that looked to be something of a pipe dream before a ball was kicked.

He’s utilised his small squad in expert fashion and the togetherness of this group could take them a long way against the odds.

To do that, however, they will need a large slice of luck with injuries, to again fend off interest in Ben Whiteman and add a couple more astute loan signings (preferably Josh Sims).

You could argue that this strange, unpredictable and alien season might in fact present Doncaster with their best chance of reaching the Championship.

Coronavirus may have worryingly set the club back in terms of their longer term objectives, particularly the demise of the U23 squad, but in the short term high-flying Rovers have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

DONCASTER BELLES

The latest lockdown has cast doubt on whether the FAWNL Division One Midlands season will be played to a finish.

Andy Butler’s team sit second in the table but, if the competition does re-start, they are very unlikely to overtake a strong and well-resourced Wolverhampton Wanderers side in the race for the single promotion spot.

Nevertheless, following the club’s recent dramatic fall from grace, it is reassuring to see them competing and winning games again.

Butler basically inherited a youth/development team when he took the reins last January and has stopped the rot by implementing a defined style of play and adding some much-needed experience and physicality to the ranks. His attention may have already turned to next season and building a squad capable of winning the fourth tier title.

Belles’ professional status is a thing of the past – it’s my understanding that none of the current playing squad are paid – so they will need to think outside of the box to get back among the elite.

It’s likely to be a long term project, but at least Belles appear to be moving in the right direction again.

DONCASTER KNIGHTS

Knights will simply be glad to get back out on the field after going at least 12 months without playing.

At least they now have the prospect of competitive rugby to work towards, with a scaled-down Championship season scheduled to start on March 6.

The 12-team division has been split into two pools of six teams and the winners of each pool will meet in a two-legged promotion play-off final.

Knights will tackle Ealing Trailfinders, Coventry, Nottingham, Bedford Blues and Richmond – meaning they miss out on facing three-time Champions Cup winners Saracens.

Ongoing uncertainty surrounding the competition and the challenges posed by Covid-19 have presented new director of rugby Steve Boden with a multitude of issues but the former Knights hooker, thanks to the generosity of benefactors Steve Lloyd and Tony De Mulder, has been able to completely rebuild the squad and also lower its average age.

Knights had reached a point where they needed a reset.

Since reaching the play-off final in 2016 they have dropped into the lower reaches of the Championship, a decline owing to a combination of factors including the tragic training ground death of Ian Williams in 2018 and, more generally, an increase in the competitiveness of the division.

Castle Park is no longer the fortress it once was and the strong identity fostered by previous boss Clive Griffiths had seemingly petered out.

Beating coronavirus and returning to action will be a victory of sorts for Knights this year but Boden must also strive to improve upon disappointing tenth and ninth place finishes in 2019 and 2020.

DONCASTER RLFC

Likewise for the Dons, simply getting back into the swing of playing again will bring a sense of joy and relief to the club’s staff and supporters.

They are scheduled to start their season in March with a Challenge Cup tie and are currently awaiting more details about an 18-round Betfred League One campaign.

LIke the Knights, the proposed campaign remains very much in the hands of the virus and, with a new variant of Covid-19 to now deal with, the cost of testing players could still prove to be problematic.

This week the RFL paused pre-season training for Championship and League One clubs which could delay the start of the new season.

Should the season go-ahead as planned, expectations of another push for promotion should be tempered by the financial difficulties being felt by Club Doncaster as a result of the pandemic.

The Dons ought to be competitive at the top end of League One once again but breaking the ongoing cycle of losing in the play-offs will be very difficult to achieve in the current climate.