Season 2023

Winning the League Leaders Shield for the first time since 2013

After a dominant league campaign that saw Featherstone win 25 of 27 fixtures, the season came to an abrupt and extremely disappointing end with defeat in the playoff semi-finals at home to London Broncos. With the sport once again set to make structural changes in 2024, the overwhelming feeling of an opportunity lost with regard to promotion completely overshadowed the achievements in the league campaign.

The team, under new head coach Sean Long, started the season in commanding fashion, recording 13 straight league successes, including some big wins. The only setback came at the first hurdle of the Challenge Cup against Halifax which also resulted in elimination from the1895 Cup.  Toulouse inflicted a first league defeat on the club in June, but by then Rovers had achieved a level of consistency that saw them already as runaway league leaders and promotion favourites.  A powerful set of forwards set the platform and were overpowering all their opposition.  Significant squad depth in this area meant squad rotation and injuries had little impact.  The absence of a settled half back pairing was always a concern but didn't affect results.

Gareth Gale had an outstanding season and was the clubs player of the season.  Caleb Atkins stood in well at half back and in the forwards Springer, Yei, Moors and Hau were always prominent when on the field.

Despite a slip up at Halifax, which saw Long surprisingly lose his job and James Ford installed as his replacement, Rovers finished the league programme strongly, with a convincing win in Toulouse before thrashing Widnes and receiving the League Leaders Shield. All that counted for nothing when London completely outplayed Rovers in the play-off semi-final, leaving all at the club with the very bitter taste of what might have been.  Chairman Mark Campbell summed this up as "the end of an era" and 17 players were released shortly after the season ended.