T'Other Side: Keighley Cougars

   

Caretaker Coach: Jordie Hedges

 

Jake Webster was appointed as caretaker coach in July last year following the departure of Matt Foster and for this season he became the head coach. However, earlier this week he moved into a role looking at commercial opportunities and community development and Jordie Hedges has taken the role of caretaker coach.

He joined Doncaster in 2016, having previously been at South Sydney Rabbitohs. His entire playing career in the UK was at Doncaster, finishing at the end of the 2019 season.

Captain: Junior Sa’u

 

Junior Sa’u has been appointed as Keighley captain for 2025. He started with Newcastle Knights in 2008 and had one year at Melbourne Storm in 2013 before joining Salford in 2014 where he stayed for six seasons. During his last year at Salford, he played three games for Wakefield on loan. His next move was to Leigh in 2019. 2022 saw a big change when he went off to play rugby union for Old Glory DC in the USA. At the end of the American season, he joined Keighley and has been there ever since.

He has also played for both the New Zealand and Samoa national teams.

 

Dual registration

Keighley have a dual registration agreement with Warrington. Four Warrington players have appeared, so far, for Keighley in 2025. They are Joe Bajer (prop), Lucas Green (prop), Charlie McKier (prop), Ewan Smith (centre) and Tom Whitehead (loose forward).

Usually, in challenge cup matches, the parent club won’t let any of their players take part as they would be cup-tied, but this has no bearing on 1895 cup fixtures as super league clubs are not involved.

 

The Fev connection

 

We have found 53 players who have played for both Fev and Keighley. They include:

Jamie Benn began his career with Castleford in 1998 and during his three seasons there had loan spells with York (twice – 1998 and 1999) and Keighley (1998).

During his 1999 loan spell at York, he set new club records for points in a match and goals kicked when they beat Oldham 70-4 in the final match of the season with Jamie scoring 30 points and kicking 13 goals. Both records were beaten by Chris Thorman in 2011.

For Keighley he made 6 appearances, scoring 1 try, 22 goals and 1 drop goal for a total of 49 points.

In 2001 he joined York and then, with the York club in turmoil which led to their withdrawal from the competition part way through the 2002 season, he signed for Dewsbury.

His final club was Fev for whom he played 2 seasons (2006 and 2007). He was never a regular in the side but, nevertheless, played 16 games, scored 1 try, kicked 7 goals and a drop goal, totalling 19 points.

One day, we were in the bar before a match. Jamie was sat at the next table drinking a pint, when the team for the day’s match was announced over the tannoy and, to his huge surprise, it included Jamie! Leaving his drink behind he rushed down to the changing room to get ready!!

 

After a bright start to Fev’s involvement in professional ranks and reaching 3rd place in the league and beating Leeds in the play-offs, there was a rapid decline in our fortunes and the best Fev ever made in the 1930s was a 19th place finish in 1931-32 and we finished at the bottom in 1936-37 and again the following year. It was a period when Fev were regularly selling players just to survive and as a result we used many young players. One such was centre, Cyril Hammond, who got his début at the age of 20 in 1933. Between then and December 1937 he played 115 games and scored 24 tries. In January 1938 there was a swap deal that involved Hammond moving to Keighley with Ambrose Askin moving in the opposite direction.

 

Jon Presley (son of former Batley player and then top referee, Steve Presley) was a scrumhalf who made his début for Fev as an 18 year-old in 2003. He made 40 appearances for Fev and scored 15 tries. Although he had been a regular member of the team in 2004 his opportunities became very limited after Fev had recruited Aussie, Josh Weeden, for 2005 and he transferred to Sheffield not long after the start of the 2005 season.

In 2008 he joined Keighley where he made 75 appearances and scored 49 tries. After three seasons he moved on to York. In the section on Jamie Benn we mentioned Chris Thorman overtaking Jamie’s records for York. Jon Presley played in that same match and scored six tries which was at that time York's 'Summer Era' record for tries in a match.

Jon’s father, Steve, set a record for Batley by playing in 116 consecutive matches.