New signing teased by CEO of ambitious Championship rugby league side amid positive update
Despite missing out on the playoffs after a fantastic first season in the Championship, Doncaster Rugby League Football Club had an unquestionable success in 2024.
The club has become a true community hub thanks to off-field programs started and managed by departing Head of Development Josh Riding. These projects have helped the town’s residents advance while also giving the club the foundation it needs to grow as a whole.
“It was a real shock to us, Josh Riding got an opportunity to join Leeds in a different role – something that he has probably wanted to do for some time,” Doncaster Chief Executive Officer Carl Hall said in a recent statement from the club on X in honor of Riding.
“He left the place in a really good spot and did a fantastic job here.”
Along with mentioning the team’s current status after the Dons’ acquisition, Hall would also tease a potential date for the announcement of a new addition.
Hall has expressed optimism in the team ahead of 2025 after Doncaster shocked everyone by finishing eighth, just three points outside of the play-offs, after earning promotion to the Championship.
He clarified, “Richard (Horne) is really happy with them.”
Since they have a GPS at training now, they can see how fast they are moving and how many kilometers they are covering. There is no hiding place. They’re working hard because they have a weekly competition to see who can run the most, be the fastest, and be the fittest.
“The only player without a long-term injury is Tyla (Hepi), who exercises constantly. He won’t be back until March.
Former Super League players Josh Bowden and Jacob Jones are among the 2025 signings thus far, adding to the stellar 2024 class that includes players like Alex Sutcliffe and Reece Lyne.
Hall hinted that a new signing would be revealed on January 5th, the day of the club’s upcoming “Lunch with the Legends,” saying: “There are a few other things that are going on.” I’m not sure, but we’ll see. There might be a new player.
Strong season tickets that are selling “really well,” according to Hall, have also been linked to the club’s positive atmosphere.
“I think we sold more than we ever sold in the first week, and we’re on target for what we want to achieve – we’re just over 400 now, which is phenomenal for this time of year,” he continued.
