Ryan Carr

December 2018 to October 2019

When 30 year old Australian Ryan Carr was announced as head coach in December 2018 he became Rovers youngest ever coach.  With family arrangements to sort out he did not actually arrive at Featherstone until a week before the opening league fixture – two months later and after all the pre-season games.  Whilst unknown in the UK, Carr had coached New South Wales Cup side Mounties during 2018 and had also held coaching roles in both the Cronulla Sharks and South Sydney Rabbitohs academy set-ups.

With a new-look squad (and Carr arriving so late) it took time for the team to gel, but from mid-April Rovers were been beaten only four times in 19 league or play-offs fixtures in a run to Championship Grand Final.  Rovers only finished fifth in the league table, but won away to the three teams immediately above them, Leigh Centurions, York City Knights and Toulouse Olympique in successive elimination ties.  The final in front of a sell-out crowd in Canada against Toronto Wolfpack was a tense affair, which Rovers lead at half-time, but couldn’t quite hold onto the lead in the second-half. 

Ryan Carr guided Rovers to the closest they had come to the top echelon of rugby league since the 1998 Grand Final so fans were disappointed to see him return to Australia after the season finished. A decision driven by family concerns.

2019 Total: Won 21 Drew 0 Lost 13 = 61.76%