T'Other Side: Doncaster

 

Head Coach: Richard Horne

Richard Horne is a real rarity in modern rugby league in that he has been a one club man (albeit) with two clubs. If that sounds like double-Dutch then we’ll explain. The only club he played for was Hull FC and the only club where he has been head coach is Doncaster where he has been since June 2017, having previously been on the coaching staff at Hull FC. At Doncaster he has master-minded a steady improvement in the club’s fortunes. They narrowly missed out on promotion to the Championship, being beaten in the play-off finals in 2021 and 2022 but it was third time lucky in 2023 when they won the final against 18-6 against North Wales Crusaders. Back in the Championship in 2024 he guided them to 8th place and only 3 points short of the play-off positions. A very creditable achievement considering that so many clubs have come up from League One only to be relegated straight back the following year.

His entire club playing career was at Hull FC and encompassed 17 seasons from 1998 until his retirement in 2014. For Hull he played 383 games, mostly as a halfback, and scored 133 tries. We said he only played for one club, and that is true, but he also played matches for Scotland (in the 2000 World Cup), Yorkshire and Great Britain.

 

 

Captain: Reece Lyne 

Reece Lyne has taken over as Doncaster captain for 2025, succeeding Sam Smeaton who had been captain for the previous four years.

He made his first grade début at Hull FC in 2010 and moved to Wakefield in 2013 where he remained for 11 seasons. He signed for Doncaster in 2024. He has also played 2 games for England, playing against France in 2018 and 2021.

 

Loans and Dual Registration

Doncaster have signed a dual registration agreement with Hull FC for 2025. Eight Hull FC players have played for Doncaster on dual reg so far this year. They are: Jack Charles (stand-off), Brad Fash (forward), Will Gardiner (forward), Matty Laidlaw (forward), Logan Moy (fullback), Hugo Salabio (forward), Cobie Wainhouse (forward) and William Wilson (forward).

There are currently no players on loan at Doncaster.

 

The Fev Connection

 

Bearing in mind that Doncaster did not become a professional club until 1951, it is surprising that there are 139 players we know of who have played for both Fev and Doncaster. As you can see above there are no less than ten players who have played for Doncaster this year who have previously played for Fev.

 

Watson Boas (halfback or centre) was brought over to Fev from PNG Hunters in 2019 along with his elder brother Ase. Neither settled fully into the team and Ase returned home whilst Watson went on loan to Doncaster and then signed for Doncaster where he has remained ever since.

For Fev he played 10 games, scoring 4 tries and kicking 14 goals.

At Doncaster he has, so far, played 91 games, scored 37 tries and kicked 19 goals.

He has also played for the Papua New Guinea international team, the Papua New Guinea President’s XIII and for the Papua New Guinea 9s team.

 

 

Gavin Morgan (prop) made his professional début with Doncaster (his hometown club) in 1995. He remained with Doncaster until Fev signed him in 2001. During 2002 he had a number of injury problems and retired from professional rugby at the end of the season. During those two years at Fev he proved to be a very reliable member of the pack with a good eye for scoring tries.

For Fev he played 45 games and scored 11 tries.

During his time at Doncaster, he played 78 games and scored 19 tries.

 

In 2003, two very promising youngsters broke into the Fev team. They were Andy Bailey and Richard Whiting (centre/second row, stand-off). The promise they showed that year led to Hull FC coming in to sign both of them and Fev received minimal compensation for the work that had been done to develop the two of them. Richard was at Hull FC from 2004 to 2015 when he retired at the end of the season. While he was at Hull FC he played on loan at Doncaster in 2014.

He also played for a National League One U21 side in his time at Fev and later made 3 appearances for England.

For Fev he played 18 games, scored 2 tries and kicked 6 goals.

During his loan spell at Doncaster, he played 3 games and scored 3 tries.