Featherstone plan to snuff out threat of Tomkins as they are pitted against Wigan

The Championship side brilliantly negated Man of Steel Rangi Chase to help defeat Castleford Tigers in Saturday’s shock result at Post Office Road.

The reward for that magnificent success is another home game against Super League opposition – and another dazzling talent to thwart in irrepressible England full-back Sam Tomkins.

Featherstone coach Daryl Powell is relishing the challenge following yesterday’s mouthwatering draw which also sends Bradford Bulls to Warrington and Leeds Rhinos to Salford.

“Both are outstanding players, just superb talents, and unless you’re outstanding too they will open you up,” he said.

“I thought we handled Rangi pretty well and we’ll try to come up with a plan to deal with Sam too. We have to be absolutely superb defensively to keep Wigan out as they’re a very strong team, one of the top two or three sides in the country.

“It will be tough for us but the players will get a hell of a lot of belief from what they did on Saturday and, for me, getting Wigan at home is a fantastic draw for the club more than anything.”

Powell, a cup winner as a player with Leeds in 1999, says working with gifted duo Chase and Tomkins in his role as England assistant has offered him an added insight into what makes the flair players tick.

Tomkins scored six tries as Wigan cruised past North Wales Crusaders 98-4 to reach the last 16 and remains one of the most feared attackers in the sport.

Powell admitted: “You see the sort of things they do when you watch them play. But to see some of the things they actually try in practice is astonishing.

“In particular Rangi – he does some just unbelievable things – and Sam is an incredible athlete.

“How he gets from one spot on a field to another in the blink of an eye is pretty special yet he’s so quick to reload and go again on the other side of the pitch.

“As a rugby league player there’s not an awful lot to him but he’s incredibly strong, so quick and skilful too, a pretty good package.

“They are both unbelievable players. It’s great to watch them train and play. We’ll have to get a plan ready again.”

Well-marshalled Featherstone continually suffocated Chase’s options, frustrating him so much that the stand-off, at times, lost not only possession but his cool as well.

Indeed, he has been ordered to appear before today’s RFL disciplinary panel for an incident which led to Rovers winger Tangi Ropati suffering a broken jaw.

Chase, 26, could face a three-match ban for striking to add to Castleford’s woe while Ropati – who scored Rovers’ first try – has had his jaw plated and may miss up to three months of action.

As Featherstone continue their bid to earn a Super League licence, Powell believes the forthcoming tie will do wonders for their appeal.

Some of the clubs’ hierarchy hoped to draw a Championship club yesterday to increase their chances of progressing to a potentially lucrative home quarter-final.

Halifax, for example, head to Leigh so there will be at least one Championship club in the last eight but Powell insisted: “I didn’t mind it either way.

“It’s a great draw as, for the next two weeks, there’s going to be a high profile around Featherstone Rovers again and that puts us out there in the national media.

“I don’t think that would have happened if we’d have drawn another Championship club.

“This is a great opportunity, another step up from Castleford, and we’re going to need to be exceptional to challenge Wigan.

“But the players will relish it and we’ve ambitions to be an outstanding club at the top level in the future; this is another good chance to market ourselves and continually raise that profile.”

Sheffield Eagles fly out to Perpignan while John Kear’s Batley will fancy their chances of an upset when London Broncos arrive at Mount Pleasant.

One tie will be broadcast live by Sky Sports on Friday, April 27 with the BBC showing a game the following day, Featherstone hoping to be televised again.

Challenge Cup 5th round draw

The draw for the 5th round of the Carnegie Challenge Cup is:

Warrington v Bradford

Catalan Dragons v Sheffield Eagles

Salford v Leeds

Leigh v Halifax

Oldham v St Helens

Featherstone v Wigan

Huddersfield v Swinton

Batley v London Broncos

Ties to be played on the weekend of April 27-29.