Season 1996

The form of Steve Molloy and his selection for Great Britain

The era of summer rugby began with a challenge cup fixture in January.  The league commenced in March but there was a strong sense of disillusionment among fans about the way changes had been made, and the continuing shifting sands around how the game was played and being run. Nevertheless automatic one up and one down was in place for entry to Super League and coach David Ward had a small but competitive squad at his disposal, though it bore little resemblance to the team that been in the premier division 12 months earlier. 

A promising start to the Division One campaign with only one defeat in the first seven games saw Rovers briefly at the top of table. However in May, Rovers were well beaten by a Salford side who looked a cut above the other sides in the division and duly went on to claim the promotion spot with some ease.  Rovers season fell away with three defeats in the last four games which resulted in a fourth place finish and missing out of the end of season premiership competition.  Martin Pearson again showed his class and was top scorer in the division and Steve Molloy’s form was such he was selected for the GB touring party.  Despite efforts to ”jazz up” the match day experience and bring in new supporters, and some good performances, attendances continued to decline and financial pressures grew.