Featherstone Rovers head coach Paul Cooke faces big decisions ahead of Wembley final

Injuries to three players in the game at Barrow Raiders may force Cook’s hand and he will also have to do without recent signings James Glover and Nathan Wilde, who are unavailable for the final.

Centre Bailey O’Connor and winger Derrell Olpherts had to leave the field in the first 10 minutes at Barrow after picking up a knee injury and a hamstring strain respectively while playmaker Ben Reynolds also joined them on the sidelines after suffering a ‘dead leg’.

All three will be checked through the week before Cooke decides his starting 17 against York Knights at Wembley.

But forwards Jordan Williams, Gadwin Springer and free scoring winger Connor Wynne are likely to come back into contention after being left out as more of a precaution in recent weeks.

And Featherstone will go into the game in their best form of the season – with victories in impressive style in their last four matches, including their 40-14 win at Oldham in the cup semi-final and a further morale-boosting 30-12 success last Sunday in what had expected to be an awkward Championship game at a Barrow Raiders team recently in the top three.

"We’re going to have some tough calls to make on injuries with Bailey O’Connor and Derrell Olpherts if they are not fit and also Ben Reynolds who came off with a dead leg,” said Rovers boss Cooke.

"We’ll have a look at them during the week and see where they’re at.

"We’ve always known that Glover and Wilde won’t be available at Wembley, but their absences will offer opportunities for other players in the squad to step up.”

Cooke is delighted with the way his players have performed and stayed focused since reaching Wembley with their win at Oldham.

He explained: “We spoke three weeks ago when we played Oldham about knocking the next two off and getting close to the top six and now we go to Wembley and try to get a result against York, who are a very difficult team.

"We’ve not had an ideal start to 2025 in terms of our results and our performances, but we are getting there.

"They are a group of players that are working hard for each other and looking after themselves in what they are doing on the training field and the playing field – long may it continue.

"I think the fans are seeing a group that’s together and unified and coming up with their own problem solving on the field. I’m pleased for the group, I’m pleased for the supporters – let’s get down to Wembley and make a noise.”

Cooke is expecting a big challenge for his players against a York side that has also improved significantly after a sticky start to the campaign and a cracker could be on the cards if the teams’ previous meeting this season is anything to go by with Rovers edging a thriller 24-22 in April.

The Knights stunned favourites to win the cup Bradford Bulls in their semi-final and like Fev warmed up well with a 48-18 win over Sheffield Eagles last Sunday.

Kick-off for the all-Yorkshire Wembley final is 5.45pm.

Featherstone are encouraging fans to come down to the Millennium Stadium to give the players a rousing send-off on Friday morning.

“The lads will train on Friday morning and they will be on the field around half-eight,” said chief executive Martin Vickers.

"Fans are more than welcome to sit in the stands and watch the players. The send-off will be about 10.30 and people are welcome to see the lads off at the stadium.

"We hope then that the whole town gets that buzz about the great event that’s around the corner.

"What we want to do is recapture what we did before so the whole of Station Lane, people from the shops, the four or five primary schools in the area will all be out there to see the guys off. Last time there were about 2,000 people out there.

"It’s a wonderful experience for the players and I really do want the whole town to come up because that tells the players what that day will mean to the town. Let’s give the boys a great shout out.”