fevnut's musings #02: Feeling sad, New Year and Big Impressions

Feeling Sad

After opening our 2021 campaign with a highly convincing win against the Bulls, we ought to be feeling really happy. But we are not because we have received some very sad news. Every now and then along comes a player who stands out well above the usual affection we have for all Fev players. The sort of player who, for whatever reason, is one that we really love to watch. And it is not always the very greatest of players but one who just simply commands the attention and focus of a fan.

For us there have been several such who are not the most obvious ones. Players such as Charlie Stone, Danny Divet, Danny Baker and Deryck Fox. But fevnut’s greatest hero, the one who we always focussed on when he was playing and who it was always worth watching, even when he wasn’t directly involved in the play, was Jeff Grayshon. The news that he has just died is the reason why we feel so sad today.

 

We extend our condolences to his family and wish them top know that their Jeff gave the most amazing amount of pleasure to so many rugby league fans.

Jeff played exactly 100 games for Fev which is not in itself remarkable, but it certainly does become so when you bear in mind that he made his Rovers début at the age of 39!

As we understand it, the Featherstone committee at that time, decided that at the age of 42 Jeff was too old to have his contract extended. What a terrible decision that was. The consequence was that we lost two wonderful assets. First of all, of course, Jeff himself who went to Batley and played 104 matches for them before eventually retiring at the age of 45! But that committee decision was also a big factor in Peter Fox, surely our greatest coach, leaving. And what happened the following year? We got relegated.

 

 

New Year

Last year we wrote about how we view New Year’s Day as being the start of the new season. So much more important than January 1^st! But this year it feels so very strange. Who would ever have thought that Fev fans would have to watch the opening games at home on television. Thank you to the BBC and Fev TV for enabling us to do so but it really isn’t the same as getting together with our mates at Post Office Road or an away ground sharing the experience.

Nevertheless, it was a joy to watch the team beat Bradford so convincingly, and all the more so after our exit from the Challenge Cup when we were beaten by them in Golden Point Extra Time at Odsal in 2019 with a drop goal scored by Dane Chisholm.

 

Who has Impressed?

Basically, the entire squad.

In particular Frankie Halton looks a really good prospect, Connor Jones has looked sharp on his return and, in the Bradford game and the two ‘friendlies’ Dean Parata has been terrific with five tries in three games. For us his try against Bradford was the try of the match, with Craig Hall’s long range effort coming very close behind.

We seemed to be really blessed in the halfback/hooker positions. When all are fit, who on earth do you leave out from Fa’amanu Brown, Dean Chisholm, Tom Holmes, Connor Jones and Dean Parata?

We hope that Dale Ferguson recovers from his injury quickly because the combination of Dale, Craig Kopczak and James Harrison in the ‘middles’ looks to be a real nightmare for any opposition.