Hanley Takes Doncaster Builders and Plasterers on Blackpool Ride

Ellery Hanley has been typically matter-of-fact and professional in his approach to tomorrow's Northern Rail Cup final in Blackpool, perhaps unsurprisingly given the long list of rather grander occasions he experienced in one of the greatest playing careers. For the Doncaster club which stunned British rugby league by appointing Hanley as its coach in January, though, it is a much bigger deal.

The Dons have never previously reached a final in their 57-year history, and despite a brief period of modest success in the early 1990s are still better remembered for the long losing run in the previous decade which was featured in an award-winning ITV documentary called Another Bloody Sunday.

More recently, the dream of promotion to the Super League on the back of their move to the town's impressive new Keepmoat Stadium turned into a nightmare, with an over-ambitious spending spree leading to serious financial problems that threatened the club's future less than 12 months ago. So the success they have enjoyed under Hanley, who has led them into contention for promotion from National League Two as well as this final against Salford at Blackpool's Bloomfield Road, has restored much-needed credibility in south Yorkshire and beyond.

"It's been a lively 18 months, even by Donny's standards - and we've had plenty of ups and downs," reflected Ray Green, a former player and secretary whose association with the club goes back to 1962, and whose son Peter is the longest-serving current player, as he packed up his caravan for the drive to the Fylde yesterday.

"Everything was up in the air this time last year, because a couple of people running the club had got well in front of themselves following the move to the new stadium, and started spending silly money rather than following a sensible three- or four-year plan.

"That meant we didn't capitalise on the new stadium as we should have done, but that's the great thing about what's happening now - it's exciting for everybody concerned with the club and with rugby league in the town, because there have been some tough times."

Further heartwarming evidence of Doncaster's rugby league rebirth comes from the Toll Bar amateur club, whose facilities were flooded during the south Yorkshire deluge of last summer, but who are now up and running again.

"There's a lot of work going on in the schools of Doncaster, plus a couple of strong amateur clubs, and I think the people running it now understand what you need to have a serious bid for a Super League place," added Green, who now works for the Dons' local rivals, Sheffield Eagles, after becoming disillusioned by the previous regime. "I take my hat off to Craig Harrison, the new chairman, because he's working his socks off for Doncaster as well as putting in a lot of money. He's a good, genuine bloke."

The Rugby Football League remains supportive, too, and clearly wants to encourage a serious Super League bid from south Yorkshire when licenses are next available in 2011, with a joint application from Doncaster and Sheffield regarded as the most realistic, if problematic, option.

Meanwhile the talismanic Hanley seems to be enjoying himself. He concedes that his Dons are underdogs against the National League One frontrunners Salford - "They're very much full-time while my players are plasterers, builders and things like that" - but the City Reds will be distinctly wary, all the same.

Harlequins could have their captain, Rob Purdham, back for tonight's televised Super League game against St Helens, while Lee Briers will make his 300th appearance for Warrington in the pick of tomorrow's games, against Wakefield.