1895 Cup final reaction: Featherstone Rovers in process of ‘self-reflection’ after Wembley defeat

A Liam Harris drop-goal proved to be the match-winner in golden-point extra-time after the teams could not be separated after 80 minutes of gruelling rugby league.

In a tryless final, two Ben Reynolds penalties bookended a brace of goal kicks from Harris but Rovers, appearing in their third final in five seasons, had their opportunities in normal time to get their hands on the trophy for a second time.

After the agonising 5-4 defeat, Cooke said:

“I am disappointed but, as I said to the players after the game, we need to be striving to be involved in these games and we also need to be striving to get more of the bigger moments right instead of almost right or not right at all.

“There are some really harsh lessons in there for us, particularly at the end of the game. We have had ample chances there. We changed some things at half-time and we made enough of a fist of the second half with some clean breaks and some big moments which we just didn’t capitalise on.

“Sometimes in rugby league you get what you deserve. Second half, I am not sure we deserved that but we didn’t win enough of the big moments for me.”

Asked how the players were feeling, Cooke answered:

“Disappointed of course. Coming down to Wembley isn’t about coming and taking part. We know that. It’s about winning the game. Finishing second isn’t good enough.

“We are going to be involved in some big games at the end of the season and we’re going to make sure we are because we are going to continue to work as hard as we have to get to where we are today.

“When those big games come along again, and those big moments come along again, we have got to be better and take them and win games like this. Whilst it is disappointing right now we will get over it. It’s not like losing a grand final and having three or four months to mull it over, we have only got a week before our next game.

“And then we have got some big games coming up which puts us in a position to get into the top six and stay in the top six so we are involved in the big games at the end of the season.”

It was an attritional contest, played in slippery weather conditions, with Cooke taking “pride” in his side’s defensive display.

“Pride defensively because we haven’t conceded a try,” he said. “But they haven’t either. We expected it to be as close as it was.

“We expected it because of the weather. We came up with some different plans but the weather was not conducive to carry out all of those plans.”

On how his players are going to lift themselves as Fev return to Championship action this Sunday at home to basement side Hunslet, Cooke said:

“We are not training while Friday so hopefully they can go into a deep hole and find something within themselves because it’s no good me bringing them in Tuesday and Thursday and reading them a riot act.

“They have got to self-reflect a little bit and I think they will. They are a good group of players who self-reflect. There are a couple of players already apologising for their performance.

“That’s all well and good but we have got to apologise and get better. We will get better. There will be some self-reflection and some accountability from the players before we play against Hunslet on Sunday.

“ We will learn some valuable lessons going forward because if you want to win big games then you have got to come up with big moments in big plays.”