REPORT | Featherstone Rovers 22 Dons 4

The Dons were defeated by Featherstone Rovers on the opening day of the 2025 Betfred Championship campaign.

Richard Horne’s men came close to marking the scoresheet towards the end of the first half, but the visitors trailed at the break to two earlier tries.

Craig Hall found the line for the Dons in the second half but Rovers took victory with another two tries.

Horne handed first league starts to winter signings Edene Gebbie, Josh Bowden and Jacob Jones, while Isaac Misky also took his place among the interchanges.

The hosts took an early lead when a goal line drop out saw play shifted to the left where Clay Webb crashed over the line. Ben Reynolds added the extras.

The Dons looked to making good yards down the slope throughout the next ten minutes but Rovers found an opening again.

Gareth Gale won a repeat set 20-metres out and found Jayden Hatton who went over in the left-hand corner for a ten-point lead.

Bureta Faraimo came close for the Dons after picking up on a loose ball 15-metres out, but the Featherstone defence held strong to hold up just short of the line.

The first half looked to be dying out towards the break but each side threatened in the closing stages.

Rovers’ Zach Herring was held up on the line by Brad Knowles after a charging run, before Reece Lyne came close at the other end.

The home side almost extended their lead when Ben Reynolds found a gap to run through from just 10 metres out at the start of the second half, but he was stopped just short.

Featherstone continued to pile the downhill pressure on and it eventually told.

The ball broke from a scrum and a slip opened up a gap for Hatton to cross by the posts. Reynolds added the extras again.

Matters got worse for the Dons when a kick into the goal area saw Clay Webb steam in and place down. Reynolds successfully converted.

The Dons soaked up more Rovers pressure throughout the next ten minutes but the visitors then found the line.

Horne’s men worked their way from left to right where Hall was free to step over the line uncontested.

The Dons looked to make further inroads in the time remaining but it wasn’t to be their day.

Dons: Hall, Gebbie, Lyne, Hey, Faraimo, Johnston, Robinson, Bowden, Burns, Matagi, Jones, Sutcliffe, McConnell. Interchanges: Knowles, Misky, Pauli, Smeaton.