Longo: Fev can shock Leeds

Featherstone general manager Davide Longo insists Rovers can pull off a shock and defeat Leads in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup.

Fev have not featured in a last-eight cup match since 1997 where they were beaten by Leeds, but longo believes the Championship club can spring a surprise this time around.

“This is a fantastic proposition for us and we are all relishing a massive challenge,” said Longo.

“We have some big ambitions here at Featherstone and will enter this game full on confidence, looking to pull off an upset.

“We have nothing to fear and are certainly not going to Headingley to make up the numbers. This is a game we want to win.

“It is not just a case of us enjoying the occasion and taking a decent payday for tackling a big name.

“We are aiming to go well in The Qualifiers come the end of the regular season and, in order to do so, we will have to handle some excellent teams.

“We believe the club belongs in these sorts of fixtures and are proud to be the only remaining second-tier club in the competition.

“Currently, we sit second in the Kingstone Press Championship and went very close to defeating Hull KR earlier in the season – with an injury-hit team. We are in a good place.

“All the pressure will be on Leeds and our players will be ready to take advantage of that.

“We have an excellent team here and I sure the boys would love nothing more than to pull off a shock result as we celebrate 50 years since the club won the Challenge Cup for the first time.

“It has been a long time since Featherstone last played in a quarter-final and for our supporters this will be a very special occasion.

“It was Leeds who knocked us out 20 years ago, at the last-eight stage. It would be fantastic to avoid history repeating itself.”