In the 2023 rugby league season, Featherstone Rovers competed in the RFL Championship and the Challenge Cup. In the Championship, Featherstone won the League Leaders' Shield having lost only two regular season games, but suffered a 36–22 upset in the play-off semi-final against London Broncos.

Season review In October 2022, Sean Long was appointed to succeed Brian McDermott as head coach. Featherstone began their Championship campaign on 6 February with a 50–0 win over newly promoted Keighley Cougars. Featherstone moved to the top of the league on 19 February following a 76–4 win over Whitehaven. On 12 March, Featherstone were knocked out in the third round of the Challenge Cup when Halifax Panthers came from behind to win 22–18. The following week Featherstone resumed their unbeaten run in the Championship with a 34–6 win over Swinton Lions in Round 6.

On 16 May, it was announced that James Ford had been appointed as the first Director of Rugby at Featherstone. On 27 May, Featherstone faced one of Ford's former clubs, York Knights, at the Summer Bash where four tries by Gareth Gale sealed a 46–4 victory. The run of league wins was extended to 13 games with a 64–6 win over Barrow Raiders in which Featherstone had ten different try scorers. On 10 June, Featherstone suffered their first league loss of the season when Toulouse Olympique defeated them 36–18 in Round 14. Following the defeat, Featherstone announced several changes to their backroom structure which included the departure of assistant coach Leon Pryce. A second league defeat for Featherstone came in Round 21 against Halifax. The match, which was scheduled for 7 August, was moved to a day earlier as Halifax were playing in the final of the 1895 Cup the following weekend. On 7 August, Sean Long was sacked from his role as head coach and succeeded by James Ford.

Featherstone secured top place in the table at the start of September with a 16–8 win over Bradford Bulls at Odsal. On 23 September, Featherstone defeated Widnes Vikings 62–10 in the final round of the regular season. After the game they were presented with the League Leaders' Shield having ended 12 points ahead of second-placed Toulouse. As league leaders, Featherstone had a bye in the first round of the play-offs before facing London Broncos in the semi-finals. London had finished fifth in the table, 18 points below the Featherstone, but were in good form having won 42–0 against Sheffield Eagles in the eliminators and they ended Featherstone's season by defeating them 46-22 before overcoming Toulouse in the Grand Final.

Results Pre-season friendlies

DateVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceReport+Pre-season results 31 December Castleford Tigers H Post Office Road 26–10 Gale (2), Day, Kopczak, Lacans Hankinson (3) 20 January Hull Kingston Rovers H Post Office Road 28–0 Briscoe (2), Kopczak, Gale, Hankinson Hankinson (2), Hall (2) 29 January Wakefield Trinity A Belle Vue 12–24 Evans, Taylor Hankinson (2)

RFL Championship

League table

Championship results

DateRoundVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceReport+Championship results 6 February 1 Keighley Cougars A Cougar Park 50–0 Dean (2), Gale (2), Aekins, Day, Hardcastle, Lockwood, Yei Hankinson (7) 2,443 RLP 12 February 2 Halifax Panthers H Post Office Road 46–22 Aekins (2), Dean, Gale, Hankinson, Jones, Springer, Wildie Hankinson (7) 3,974 RLP 19 February 3 Whitehaven H Post Office Road 76–4 Gale (2), Leilua, Aekins, Briscoe, Bussey, Davies, Dean, Jones, Kopczak, Lacans, Yei Hall (10) 2,248 RLP 26 February 4 Newcastle Thunder H Post Office Road 56–6 Bussey (2), Hardcastle (2), Leilua, Briscoe, Day, Jones, Yei Dean (8) 2,489 RLP 6 March 5 Bradford Bulls H Post Office Road 26–12 Briscoe, Davies, Dean, Ford, Gale Dean (3) 4,809 RLP 19 March 6 Swinton Lions A Heywood Road 34–6 Evans (2), Aekins, Gale, Hardcastle, Jones, Lacans Dean (3) 1,090 RLP 26 March 7 York Knights H Post Office Road 46–4 Gale (3), Cozza, Evans, Jones, Leilua, Taylor Hall (7) 2,892 RLP 7 April 8 Batley Bulldogs A Mount Pleasant 26–18 Hardcastle (2), Briscoe, Jones, Leilua Hall (3) 2,287 RLP 16 April 9 London Broncos A Plough Lane 40–10 Jones (3), Aekins (2), Day (2) Dean (6) 977 RLP 7 May 10 Sheffield Eagles H Post Office Road 28–20 Briscoe (2), Aekins, Bussey, Hardcastle Dean (3), Bussey 3,187 RLP 14 May 11 Widnes Vikings A Halton Stadium 30–0 Gale (3), Bussey, Hall, Jones Hall (3) 2,832 RLP 27 May 12 York Knights N York Community Stadium 46–4 Gale (4), Cozza, Evans, Jones, Leilua, Taylor Hall (7) 3,793 RLP 4 June 13 Barrow Raiders H Post Office Road 64–6 Jones (2), Aekins, Briscoe, Bussey, Gale, Hall, Hankinson, Hau, Lacans, Yei Hall (10) 2,756 RLP 10 June 14 Toulouse Olympique H Post Office Road 18–36 Briscoe, Davies, Hall, Hankinson Hall (1) 3,489 RLP 18 June 15 London Broncos H Post Office Road 50–6 Aekins (2), Day, Gale, Jones, Kheirallah, Lacans, Leilua, Wildie Kheirallah (7) 2,255 RLP 25 June 16 York Knights A York Community Stadium 24–8 Leilua (2), Jones, Kheirallah Kheirallah (4) 2,554 RLP, 2 July 17 Whitehaven A Recreation Ground 60–0 Leilua (2), Jones, Kheirallah (4), Aekins (2), Briscoe, Hau, Jones, Leilua, Springer Kheirallah (8) 841 RLP, 9 July 18 Swinton Lions H Post Office Road 52–6 Hall (2), Hau (2), Briscoe, Jones, Kheirallah, Lacans, Springer Kheirallah (8) 2,845 RLP, BBC 16 July 19 Barrow Raiders A Craven Park 20–10 Briscoe, Gale, Hall, Hau Kheirallah (2) 2,361 RLP, Barrow 29 July 20 Batley Bulldogs H Post Office Road 28–8 Hau (2), Smith, Taylor, Wildie Hankinson (4) 3,145 RLP 6 August 21 Halifax Panthers A Shay Stadium 22–25 Briscoe, Kheirallah, Kopczak, Springer Kheirallah (3) 1,609 RLP 18 August 22 Sheffield Eagles A Olympic Legacy Park 38–10 Hau (2), Aekins, Chisholm, Gale, Hankinson, Moors Kheirallah (5) 1,709 RLP 27 August 23 Keighley Cougars H Post Office Road 36–6 Gale (2), Jones (2), Kheirallah (2), Leilua Kheirallah (4) 3,235 RLP 3 September 24 Bradford Bulls A Odsal Stadium 16–8 Aekins, Day, Gale Kheirallah (2) 4,567 RLP 8 September 25 Newcastle Thunder A Kingston Park 56–22 Gale (3), Hall (2), Cozza, Day, Longstff, Taylor, Wildie Hall (8) 747 RLP 16 September 26 Toulouse Olympique A Stade des Minimes 29–16 Hall Jones, Kheirallah, Lacans, Leilua Kheirallah (4), Lacans (FG) 2,603 RLP 23 September 27 Widnes Vikings H Post Office Road 62–10 Leilua (3), Aekins (2), Gale (2), Hall, Hankinson, Jones, Moors Kheirallah (9) 3,874 RLP

Play-offs

DateRoundVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceReport+Play-off results 8 October Semi-final London Broncos H Post Office Road 26–36 Hankinson (2), Leilua (2), Briscoe Kheirallah (3) RFL

Team bracket

Sources:

Challenge Cup

DateRoundVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceReport+Challenge Cup results 12 March 3 Halifax Panthers H Post Office Road 18–22 Hardcastle, Lacans, Springer Hall (3) RFL

Players Squad

Transfers Gains + Player Club Contract Date Chris Hankinson Toulouse Olympique 1 Year October 2022 Mathieu Cozza Catalans Dragons 1 Year October 2022 Thomas Lacans Newcastle Thunder Elijah Taylor Salford Red Devils Riley Dean Warrington Wolves Caleb Aekins Leigh Leopards 2 Years November 2022 McKenzie Yei Queensland Capras 1 Year December 2022 Kyle Evans Wakefield Trinity 1 Year January 2023 Brad Day Newcastle Thunder

Losses + Player Club Contract Date Ben Hellewell Salford Red Devils Adam Cuthbertson Retired Jesse Sene-Lefao Sheffield Eagles Callum Field Widnes Vikings Jacob Doyle Dewsbury Rams Morgan Smith Wakefield Trinity 2 Year October 2022 Brett Ferres Doncaster Loui McConnell Doncaster Ryley Jacks Released November 2022

References