Gareth is a top rugby league journalist who has one very exceptional distinction. He chooses to write about matters pertaining to the Championship and League One.
Although this blog is devoted to Featherstone Rovers it is always good to read opinions about matters relevant to us, but not specifically about us. We hope you enjoy reading Gareth's column each week.
Kelly has Rams on a
high
IT’S around the time of year when
prospective awards winners start to be debated, and Neil Kelly must be an early
contender for the Championship Coach of the Year prize.
A
former winner of the Super League version of that accolade, Kelly still hasn’t
been in charge of Dewsbury for three months.
But
the turnaround he has overseen during that period has been little short of
remarkable.
When
Kelly was appointed for a second spell at the club on April 12 - he had
previously led the Rams to extended success during the 1990s - Dewsbury had
lost their opening eight Championship matches.
There
looked little hope of surviving relegation, and the experienced Kelly certainly
didn’t make any sweeping statements about what
he felt he could do.
But
just two days later they won for the first time against local rivals Batley - a
feat that they have repeated in the Challenge Cup and at the Summer Bash since.
And
Sunday’s emphatic 40-10 win over relegation rivals
Rochdale made it three wins on the spin and five from the last seven
Championship matches.
As
such, the Rams go into this Sunday’s latest
derby with the Bulldogs in eighth position and looking for a fourth win over
their rivals in just 12 weeks.
Kelly
- whose time away from rugby league included spells on the coaching staffs of
the Romanian and Namibian national rugby union teams - has made a handful of
crucial changes to his squad since taking charge.
The
likes of Luke Adamson and Jason Crookes have headed for pastures new, with Sam
Day, Toby Everett and Macauley Hallett coming in.
But
perhaps the most influential signing has been that of Gareth Moore from
Halifax.
The
talented scrum-half knows all about what it takes to succeed at this level from
spells with Featherstone and Batley, and he has been guiding the Rams around
the field superbly of late.
His
presence also appears to have got the best out of halfback partner Paul Sykes,
who was outstanding against Rochdale and passed two notable career landmarks in
400 appearances and 2,000 points.
With
Dewsbury stalwarts like Rob Spicer and Dale Morton also to the fore, Dewsbury
are in a good place at present - and Kelly has to take plenty of credit.
His
return to the club could yet turn out to be one of the Championship stories of
the season.
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