Hear from Goole's Brett Ferres as they prepare to play their first ever Betfred League One fixture this Sunday!
Goole Vikings are gearing up for their first season in Betfred League One which gets underway this weekend, and their captain Brett Ferres is excited for the new challenge.
An experienced Ferres has over 300 Super League appearances to his name, so is certainly the best equipped to lead the Vikings as they start their life in League One.
“I’m looking forward to it and I’m really excited,” Ferres said. “We’re a completely brand-new team and we’re all looking forward to the challenge. We’ve got a really good group together.
“I’m happy to be doing that [the captaincy]. There’s a of young kids there, who I can hopefully guide and help to progress, plus it takes a bit of pressure off Scott [Taylor] who runs some of behind-the-scenes things too.”
Ferres joined the Vikings from Doncaster, whom he won promotion to the Championship with in 2023. He is one of Goole's high-profile recruits along with the likes of Jamie Shaul, Thomas Minns and Misi Taulapapa, just to name a few.
There has been a lot of attention surrounding newcomers Goole and their inclusion in the third tier, and Ferres is full of positivity:
“There’s a lot of excitement, especially in the town. To add Goole in to League One is fantastic.
“Pre-season has been tough, but we’ve worked hard and had a great time together.”
And Goole have already impressed in 2025 so far. They learnt a lot about themselves in a pre-season friendly defeat against Featherstone Rovers, before going on to dramatically beat London Broncos in the Second Round of the Challenge Cup and North Wales Crusaders in the latest of the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup action.
“We’re excited to see where we can go this year and there's the Super Eights competition at the end of the year to work towards.
"Most League One teams will go into those with the pressure off as the Championship teams will be expecting to turn us all over, but we'll work hard in the season towards this and then go in with a free hit and see where we’re at and what the benchmark is.
“I played in League One a few years ago and it’s a really tough competition. There are a lot of young players who have come from Super League clubs that can still make a name for themselves, or there's the older end, like me, who have dropped down for different reasons.
“Most clubs are spending a lot more money now, which makes it a stronger competition. Everyone wants to advance and try and push for promotion to the Championship."
With League One set for its biggest year yet, Ferres looked ahead to Round 1 this Sunday, where Goole Vikings will begin their campaign away at Midlands Hurricanes.
“We’ve got a few long bus trips away, so plenty of travelling – but I’m looking forward to spending time with the lads.
“Midlands have spent some money and have a great stadium. It’ll be a tough test going there, but we're ready to put our best foot forward and enjoy the ride.
“The feeling never gets old for me and that’s why I’m still playing!"
How do you think Goole Vikings will fare in 2025 Betfred League One competition?
The full fixture list for the new Betfred League One season can be found here.
