LAST June, Featherstone Rovers claimed to have made an audacious bid for Huddersfield trio Danny Brough, Brett Ferres and Eorl Crabtree.

Backed by the wealth of majority shareholder Feisal Nahaboo, they were also linked with end-of-season moves for Leon Pryce, Jay Pitts and Garreth Carvell.

2015 was being talked about as the year that Featherstone, a traditional and proud rugby league club, would push hard for a return to the big time.

On June 30, all plans were dropped.

Nahaboo announced that he would no longer invest in Rovers following “undisclosed disagreements” at the club.

The Super League dream appeared to have died.

But, as the new season approaches, coach Andy Hay has assembled a squad who look capable of competing for a top-four finish.

They remain a part-time outfit but close-season signings, such as ex-Bulls player Paul Sykes plus former Warrington props Paul Wood and Carvell, have signalled their intent.

Hay said: “Things didn’t work out at the end of last year and we had to rethink and restructure our plans.

“But we got there in the end and some of the big names we were chasing are actually on board now.

“Carvell was one of those and we’ve had to wait a little bit longer and negotiate a bit harder to get him.

“There is ambition to get in Super League and the chairman (Mark Campbell), who has been at the club for seven or eight years, has never wavered from that.

“My ambition doesn’t waver either – I want to be in Super League and I want to do it with Featherstone.

“Some of the players who have never played in the top flight want to get there and make a name for themselves, while the players who have played there want to get back there and leave a legacy.

“How good an achievement would it be to actually get a club like Featherstone into Super League?”

The bookmakers believe Hay’s men will reach the top four and there is certainly no shortage of quality in their squad.

Leeds prospects Mason Tonks, Jordan Baldwinson, Thomas Minns and Alex Foster will spend this season on loan with Rovers.

They have also signed Samoan international forward Reni Maitua, but it was the acquisition of Carvell and Wood which most stood out.

Hay added: “We have tried to build a squad with good experience that can carry us through the season and if we do get into the top four, we need to make sure we can compete.

“But we need to get there first. Even though there has been a lot of talk about Bradford, Leigh and London, I think it will be really tough throughout the competition.

“You’ve got Sheffield, Halifax and Doncaster, who will all be strong with the players they have brought in.

“We needed to rebuild and bring some more quality players into the existing squad.

“In the off-season, we’ve done all right with the signings we have made and Carvell and Woody are good lads.

“Straight away when they came into the group, they put pressure on other players, who have risen to the challenge and that has allowed momentum to build during pre-season.

“Everyone at the club knows you’ve got to do your job and perform because no-one has a given right to be in the team.

“That will be my job – to select a starting 17 and it will be based on performance in games and in training.

“Those two guys bring some great experience with them but they also need to bring their top game because the Championship is tough and results count.

“We’ve all seen Super League players come into the Championship and not handle it very well.

“I’m not saying that will happen with these guys but they do need to perform.”

Hay quit his job as Salford assistant coach to take the reins at Featherstone last May following the sacking of John Bastian, who has since joined Bradford as head of youth.

The 41-year-old former Leeds and Widnes forward, whose side host Hunslet at Belle Vue on Monday in their Championship opener, said: “We’ve created a really good environment and have got some great facilities and staff.

“If you walked in here, it would look like a full-time Super League club.

“I’m full-time, which makes it a lot easier for me to do the video and analysis work and research the opposition, sort out training plans and spread the word of Featherstone around the community.

“We’ve created a really good off-season programme – but the proof will be in the pudding on Monday night.”