Hornets retain Jono Smith, Ben Moores, Lewis Galbraith and Samir Tahraoui

Jono Smith, Ben Moores, Lewis Galbraith and Samir Tahraoui

Alan Kilshaw talks about planning ahead for the 2017 season, and reveals four players who have committed to the Hornets’ cause by re-signing with the club.

The former Sarina Crocodiles coach moved back home to England to take the reins at Rochdale after Ian Talbot parted company with the club at the end of the 2015 season.

After a successful stint down under, he interviewed for the vacant position and after getting the job started planning for his first year in charge.

With most free agents snapped up and with little time to organise his team on and off the field, Alan retained the majority of the squad he had inherited and brought in a strong backroom staff.

This time out he is looking forward to the extra time he will have available to plan ahead for the 2017 season.

“We know what to expect,” he continued.

“We are a season down the line with the facility at Warrington and there wasn’t many players available really when I came in.

“A lot of players had been signed up and we were fortunate to get hold of the likes of Jono Smith, Ben Moores, Lewis Galbraith and Samir Tahraoui.

“Quite a lot of the players I inherited and I didn’t know much about all of them, so the squad next year will by own if you like.

“The players we will recruit, I will go out and recruit, players that we retain I’ll have worked with them for a year, and the lads we let go will go with our best wishes.”

With the club’s destination for next year unknown, it could have been tough for ‘Killer’ to persuade players to join the club until their fate was sealed.

He dismissed that claim though, and instead feels that the foundations that the club have in place have made Rochdale a desirable location for players no matter what division they are competing in.

“The lads that we are bringing in are all keen to play for us whatever league we are in.

“We are bringing in some players who are playing in the Championship at the minute, and they are prepared to drop down a division knowing that our aim is to get into the Championship.

“Obviously they want us to do well and go up but it could come down to a decision, injury or mistake in a final and they realise that.

“I think we’ve done well for ourselves this year, in terms of our training facilities, coaching team, support team and the club as a whole.

“We’ve got a really good reputation and it’s not been hard to attract players to Rochdale for next season.

“There’s been a lot of interest from agents and players in the club, which shows that we’re doing something right on and off the field.”

As well as outside recruitment, Kilshaw has secured the services of six current first teamers, including Jono Smith and Josh Crowley who were the first to be announced.

Ben Moores is in his debut season at the Crown Oil Arena and has secured the number nine shirt in his first year, appearing 24 times and crossing for six tries.

He has put pen to paper on a deal which will see him spend the next two-years at the club, extending his working relationship with the Hornets chief who he played under in Australia.

“I said to Ben that next year will be our fourth season in a row working together, and I did sit down with him and told him I didn’t want him to get stale under me.

“I wanted him to feel like he was still improving, that’s the main thing, and he does.

“Obviously it’s a different club that we are at together now and different staff as well, and I think he’s had a good year this year.

“I think he was under the radar at the start of the year and he was making a lot of inroads around dummy-half, teams are watching him on the video now because of that.

“He does a lot of unknown work though, he organises well and he does a lot of defence and holds us together in the middle.

“He’s been a really good signing for us this year and he will be good for the team for the next two seasons at least.”

Another player who has committed to Rochdale for the next two years is Matty Hadden, as the Irish international extends his stay with the club.

After switching from Rugby Union he spent time with Littleborough, Rochdale Cobras and Oxford before he made his transfer to the Hornets in 2015 and has made 47 appearances over two seasons.

With another World Cup year ahead, Kilshaw feels he has a big future ahead and has room for improvement.

“He’s got a big year coming up with the World Cup in 2017, I think he was underrated last year and he didn’t play much.

“He has a long way to go, and he’s got a lot of work to do in his game but he only came to rugby league late and what he has achieved so far is really good.

“He improves and he listens, and with another pre-season under his belt within this regime I think he will go even better next year.

“Hopefully he will get on that plane for the World Cup and do himself justice over there.”

22-year-old halfback Danny Yates has been a Rochdale player for two seasons now, but made seven appearances in the promotion season of 2013 on dual-registration from St Helens.

He has racked up 201 points over 58 games in Hornets colours and will feature again next season after extending his stay past the current season.

Kilshaw has been impressed by the strides he has made this campaign, and feels that he has a lot of potential to continue developing as a player.

“I think Danny has ambitions of playing at the highest level and he’s only young, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t get in the mix for the young player of the year for our division this year.

“We forget how young he is sometimes.

“He’s doing well and he’s taking more responsibility for his game.

“I think the big improvement for him this year has been his defence, he’s always been able to attack with the ball and he was getting targeted at the start of the year but he’s knuckled down and worked hard on that.

“He’s developing his long kicking game as well so there’s a lot more to come from Danny.”

The final player to pledge their future to Alan and the club for next year is Jo Taira, who etched his name into the Fijian heritage of the club when he made he debut against Hunslet Hawks back in March.

After representing Rochdale’s amateur sides Mayfield and Cobras he made the step-up, and burst onto the scene in the opening league fixture of the season after serving a suspension.

His raw talent and ability is undeniable just 10 appearances into his semi-professional career, and the coaching staff are looking forward to developing the 2014 NCL Player of the Year further.

“He challenges us as coaches on and off the field, but that’s a good thing.

“I think he has really improved and he knows what’s expected at this level now.

“When he has been on the park he’s been one of the outstanding forwards in the competition, he hits hard and he hurts you and he runs the ball.

“I want Jo to develop his ball handling, sometimes he’s just a bit of a battering ram but he has got a ball playing ability in him as well as a forward and that was something that attracted us to him in the first place.

“I don’t think we’ve seen that yet here, but it’s something that hopefully he’ll have the confidence to start doing a bit more once he’s settled in his role and in the structures and systems we play to.

“I think he will really develop further and develop that ball playing side of his game.”