Talking Sport Now & Then: Hull FC link-up can help Doncaster RLFC

But as was the case in the Challenge Cup, the draw has not been kind to Richard Horne’s side who were drawn away to Sheffield Eagles on March 2 in the first round.

Eagles have proved something of bogey team for the Dons over the years, and were the first winners back in 2019 and were also beaten finalists last year.

Before doing battle with the Eagles, however, the Dons face strongly-fancied Featherstone Rovers in their opening Betfred Championship game of the season at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday week.

Rovers look to be a much stronger side than the one ripped apart by a mass exodus of players following their failure to win promotion to the Super League in 2023 after finishing top of the table.

The Dons claimed a rare win over their near neighbours at Post Office Road last season but will do well to repeat that success next weekend.

Although there is no automatic promotion this season it still promises to be an interesting campaign with the battle for the play-off spots likely to be tougher than last season.

As was the case last season, three Championship clubs could lose their status as the RFL finalise plans to give the sport three divisions of 12 in 2026 onwards

I’m not a massive fan of dual-registration deals between clubs but they do have their benefits and providing both clubs involved get something out of the arrangement then I can live with them.

Because of the physical nature of the sport – though the changes to the rules on tackling brought in last season have helped cut down on injuries – players are always at risk of missing games which can leave clubs short of numbers at times due to a lack of back-up players.

The Dons struck up a dual-registration with Super League Hull FC before, as they did with Wakefield, with mixed results.

I’m not sure a similar deal with Hull FC last season would have done the Dons much good given the problems they faced. But such have been the improvements at the MKM Stadium the arrangement could prove beneficial to the Dons as they look to build on last season’s successful return to the Championship.

*Darts hit the bullseye recently when Sky Sports announced a record-breaking five-year £150m deal for the sport.

It is not hard to see why Sky were so keen to keep hold of its coverage during a time when the sport is riding high.

The rise of teenage sensation Luke Littler, the recently-crowned World champion, has seen Sky report record viewing figures for the sport on the channel and packed venues up and down the country.

Whether the current level of interest can be maintained over the next five years only time will tell.

The sport today is very different from the days in the late 70s and early 80s when it first took off as a TV sport.

Whether it is any better in terms of entertainment than the days of Eric Bristow, Bobby George, Phil Taylor, John Lowe, Doncaster’s Dennis Priestley and Jocky Wilson etc is open to debate.

I’ve been fortunate to interview the likes of Taylor, Lowe, John ‘Boy’ Walton’ and Wilson, who was surprisingly pleasant, on visits to Doncaster and I would loved to have included the flamboyant George in that list along with Ted ‘The Count’ Hankey.

I still think Hankey, who would take to the stage from the wings wearing his ‘Count Dracula cloak to the strains of ‘Be On Your Way’ had the best walk-on.

*There is no doubt that when supporters are in full voice it both creates an atmosphere in the stadium and adds to the occasion and I was impressed by the noise the packed South stand made in Doncaster Rovers’ recent game against Harrogate Town, particularly as there wasn’t a lot to get excited about.

But whether fans singing their team’s name the club song or repeatedly chanting such as ‘barmy army’ actually helps a team to victory I’ve never been entirely convinced.

I have spoken to several Doncaster Rovers players, along with players in other sports over the years, and the general view was they were too busy concentrating on the game to notice what the fans are singing.

It was good to catch up with the likes of former vice-chairman Stuart Highfield, who was always very helpful to me during my time covering Rovers, as well as Peter Catt and Radio Sheffield’s Tom Biltcliffe and the DFP’s current Rovers’ reporter Ricky Charlesworth among others.

*I was pleased to read that 82-year-old Rovers chairman Terry Bramall told supporters at a recent forum that he is in good health.

Long may that situation continue both for Terry and his family as well as Club Doncaster.

Both Rovers and the Dons owe Terry a debt of gratitude for the way that he has bankrolled them.

Former chairman John Ryan deserves all the plaudits he received, but Terry deserves to stand alongside him.

*I dread to think what former Doncaster Knights Director of Rugby Clive Griffiths, who both played and coached the national side, thinks of the current Wales RU side following recent results including their heavy defeat in Paris last weekend.

We often used to have a chat about such matters on Sunday mornings during my time covering the Knights, and he was never one to pull his punches when it came to both codes of rugby.