First Team
MCFARLAND SEES FOUNDATION IN PRE-SEASON WIN
Head coach Dan McFarland is confident his Newcastle Red Bulls side can build on the foundations of Friday’s pre-season opener as they defeated Doncaster Knights 53-31.
Speaking after the Kingston Park clash, in which his side played at a high tempo and ran in nine tries, the Red Bulls boss said: “I really enjoyed that.
“There was a lot of effort out there, the guys have worked hard throughout pre-season and this was an opportunity for them to go out there and put that on the park.
“First and foremost we asked for effort, and we saw that in spades with a moment like Oscar Usher, our young second row who was captaining the team, sprinting back 60 or 70 metres to try and make a tackle.
“Even though he didn’t quite catch the winger in the end he still made sure the try was scored in the corner, and that was just one of many moments which summed up the work rate we asked for from the guys.
“The exciting thing is the optimism with which we played, the energy we brought to the game, and some of the forwards’ passing and ball movement to create holes showed the kind of ambition we’re looking for.
“It’s a really encouraging start, but it’s one pre-season game, and we have lots to work on.”
Scottish No.8 Allan Ferrie was among the many to catch the eye, scoring a pair of tries on his debut and eating up the metres with ball in hand.
“Allan has been chomping at the bit since he came here, and this is his first experience of being in a Prem environment,” said McFarland of the former Coventry back-rower.
“He’s grasped his opportunity with both hands, and you can see the hunger he brings to his game.
“He’s a physical player who caused a lot of problems for Doncaster, and I’m looking forward to seeing the continued improvement in his game along with that of all the guys.”
Facing two games on the same day on Saturday September 5 when Rotherham Titans and Glasgow Warriors come to Kingston Park, the Newcastle boss added: “We’re looking for small signs of progress next weekend.
“We’ve got one week’s training between now and then, we’ll layer on some stuff next week to build on this evening and keep focusing on the way we want to play the game.
“There’ll be different players and different combinations, and it’s all about trying to build that cohesion with such a new group coming together.”
Entry to the double-header against Rotherham Titans (2.30pm) and Glasgow Warriors (5pm) is included on the 2026-27 season ticket, but season ticket holders need to register for their free place by clicking here.
Non-season ticket holders can gain entry for £10 adults and £5 juniors by clicking here.
