David Hobbs

July 2005 to June 2008

During the difficult 2005 season, young coach Gary Price was struggling to impose his ideas on a side that was losing too many games and slipping down the table. After a run of four straight losses, he left the club, and in came a familiar figure who needed no introduction to Rovers fans. Former player Hobbs had first signed for the club as a young back-rower in 1978, and had gone on to achieve just about everything in the game, including international caps, a GB tour in 1984 and of course the Challenge Cup at Wembley.

Hobbs had previously coached at Bradford and Wakefield in the nineties, and had also been director of rugby at Halifax. With very few games left to play with in 2005 Rovers needed an immediate reversal of fortunes and that was not to be forthcoming. Hobbs’ first match in charge ended in a heavy defeat at Whitehaven, which was followed by another drubbing at home to Batley, and by the end of the season, Rovers were down to the second division, the first time that Rovers had ever found itself at the third tier of the league.

In 2006, National League Two proved to be very competitive, and an expected promotion push never materialised. Instead Dewsbury and Sheffield went up and Rovers finished 4th in the table. The playoffs finished with an alarming home defeat against Swinton.

Fresh investment was needed to improve the playing squad and thankfully this arrived from the “Friends of Featherstone” group.  After recruiting Field, Handforth, Handford, Kain and Whittle, Hobbs had a squad capable of getting out of the division.  This they achieved though it wasn’t all plain sailing.  After finishing runners up in the league to Celtic Crusaders, Rovers won the promotion playoff final against Oldham and moved back to National League One.

Rovers found life a little tough back in the higher division and after a series of inconsistent performances Hobbs resigned.  As a club legend due to his playing exploits, his coaching career was less successful but he stuck with the club during a difficult time and contributed to lifting Rovers up from one of the lowest points of the post war period.   

David Hobbs’ coaching record:

2005: Won 1 Lost 6

2006: Won 18 Drew 2 Lost 13

2007: Won 23 Drew 1 Lost 9

2008: Won 9 Drew 1 Lost 10

Total: Won 51 Drew 4 Lost 38 = 56.99%