Probably the most experienced player to have joined Hornets during the close season, having had Super League experience with St Helens and Sheffield notching over 40 appearances. Came to Hornets having played at National League level with Leigh and Oldham. A centre with excellent try scoring ability, a powerful runner and can also operate in the Back Row. GB under-21 and Scotland international honours.

Product of the successful Wigan youth set up and came to Hornets via Leigh. A player with Super League experience having played for Wigan 10 times. Tall, strong and mobile forward likely to form the cornerstone of an imposing Hornets pack this term..

22 year old Aussie who signed from Gateshead Thunder in the close season. Good hands and elusive runner and is expected to relish the step up to NL1.

At Widnes Vikings since the age of 16 where he was a regular star performer in the Alliance / u21's team. Jumped at the chance to join Bobby Goulding at Hornets to further his career and become a regular first team performer. A player with an abundance of pace and a good kicking game.

Product of St Helens youth system having played twice for them in Super League. 23 years old and a reputation as an astute tactical kicker with the ability to dictate the pace of a game. Has also played for Oldham and Chorley Lynx.

Rochdale lad joined Hornets from the successful current Mayfield team after a string of impressive performances. Accurate goalkicker, but his main asset is his pace and deceptive footwork. A great professional career awaits Sam if he continues his current rate of progress.

Another of Hornets major close season signings with Super League Experience. At 6ft and 15 stone 4lb he was signed by Goulding from Salford City Reds to bring his powerful running style and solid defensive game to Hornets’ pack.. GB BARLA under 18's and GB Young Lions Under 19's honours.

Another product of Wigan’s youth development system having arrived at Hornets in the 2002-03 close season after a spell at Chorley Lynx. At 25 years of age he still has the best years of his career in front of him and will be looking for a big season at Hornets.

Signed from Leigh Centurions during the 2003 season to add further impetus to Hornets campaign. Unfortunately suffered a broken leg after 8 appearances but his pugnacious, go forward approach had already made him popular with the fans who will be pleased to see him back fit again.

Another product of Widnes u21's side looking for a chance to further his first team career after limited opportunities at Widnes. Spotted playing for the successful Widnes Albion ARLFC Team and will be looking to repay Goulding’s judgement to bring him to Hornets.

Played for Widnes u21's for two seasons before suffering a serious leg injury. Looking to resurrect his career at Hornets. He is renowned as a good go forward, robust player who takes the ball up well and tackles tenaciously. Another player spotted by Goulding playing at Widnes Albion.

Another player who has vast super league experience having played over 30 times for St Helens and Warrington and was a member of the St Helens cup winning team in 1996. He is a blockbusting Prop Forward who scores more than his fair share of tries and has had recent National League experience with both Swinton and Leigh.

Major coop for Hornets having captured his signature from Salford City Reds where he played 3 times for them in Super League. At 6ft 2" and 15˝ stone his pace and power and versatility will be a telling factor in Hornets quest for success this year. Lancashire Senior Academy honours.

One of the few players still on the books who played in Hornets successful 2003 campaign. Made a big impact, playing 32 games and scoring 5 tries, was a model of consistency week in week out whether starting or coming off the bench. Another player with Super League experience having played for Salford, London and St Helens.

Vastly experienced Super League player having played for Salford. London, Sheffield and Castleford as well as spells down under at Brisbane and Canberra Raiders. A superb professional and genuine leader on the field with a game based around his strong defence. Has come to the club as Bobby Goulding’s Assistant.

Another player with Super League experience before signing for Hornets. It was as a major coup when he signed for Hornets from Hull Sharks and he is the longest standing player on the books. A wily campaigner, with a robust running and tackling style he has a good pair of hands and leads by example.

Joined the club from St Helens where he was a product of the academy set up. His sheer pace bagged him many tries for the St Helens side and if he can get the same running chances for Hornets then the tries will surely follow.

Joined Hornets from amateur club Widnes St Marie’s where he impressed former Coach Bobby Goulding. At 6.3 he is an imposing centre who is sure to make his mark on the professional game and re-pay Goulding’s faith in bringing him to Hornets.

Another Widnes based player came to Hornets via Whitehaven and Oldham. Scored tries where ever he has been, due to his sheer pace. Likely to be amongst the leading try scorers in National League one this season. One of the first players to pledge his future to the new look Hornets set up.

One of the great names of the modern era, Bobby Goulding joined Rochdale Hornets in the close season, replacing Martin Hall. On being appointed, Goulding immediately set about building a squad capable of holding its own in the National League One.

Wherever he has played, on the international or domestic front, Goulding has made his mark as a wily scrum-half with a tremendously astute tactical kicking game. His competitiveness and desire to win has always shone through and it is those qualities that he hopes to bring to the Hornets job. The players he has brought in comprise a mixture of experience and youthful promise and he has sought to build a solid platform for the backs to play from by putting together a physically strong pack.

The Rochdale Hornets Club was founded in April 1871 and gained a well respected name in Lancashire Rugby Union circles until the "Breakaway" in 1895, when they became founder members of the Northern Union.

Success on the field was elusive in the early days of the new formation, but after becoming a company in 1906, Hornets slowly but surely became a force to be reckoned with. Some astute signings mainly from West Country Rugby Union areas provided the base for what was to become the club’s "golden era" which culminated in winning the Northern Union Cup in 1921-22.

On their way to this peak, they won the Lancashire Cup in 1911-12, 1914-15 and 1918-19, appeared in the 1912-13 and 1919-20 finals and also figured in the "top four" play-offs in 1914-15.

The late twenties saw the clubs fortunes steadily decline, the only bright spot being an appearance in the semi-finals of the Rugby League Cup of 1924-25. A mini revival followed in the early and middle thirties led by Mr G..A. Close, a local businessman, but when this petered out another slump in the clubs fortunes left them fighting for existence. In the period just before the Second World War the supporter’s club played a major role in keeping the club alive.

Since the war Hornets have had an up and down existence which has been mainly down, brightened only by short periods of success. The club reached the semi-final of the Rugby League Cup in both 1947-48 and a decade later in 1957-58, along with these achievements they also managed to reach the Lancashire Cup Final of 1965-66. In the seventies Frank Myler and Kel Coslett, two of its most influential ex-players, coached the team. Rochdale Hornets reached the finals of the B.B.C. Floodlit Competition in 1971-72 and the John Player Trophy in 1973-74.

When two divisions were introduced in 1973-74, Hornets began in the first division but were unable to maintain this position and were relegated three times and promoted twice in the ensuing seasons. The early eighties saw the clubs fortunes deteriorate yet again, which culminated in the sale of the Athletic Grounds and a move to Spotland Stadium. This started a mini revival which saw the club gain promotion to the First Division in 1989-90.

However the introduction of the Super League in the summer of 1996 saw the club in the First division, unfortunately after a poor season dogged by injuries Hornets were relegated to the Second division. They just missed out of winning the Second Division title in1987 by losing on the last day of the season. Nevertheless they were promoted and formed part of the Northern Ford Premiership where they have remained to the present day.

The 2000/01 season under Martin Hall was one of the best in recent years. Challenging for a Play-off place, eventually finishing third, playing attractive rugby and a new club record score when they beat York 98-0 at Spotland along the way. They followed that up with further third place finishes in 2002 and 2003 but failed to progress through the play-offs to the Grand final. This year the club are starting afresh, a new Coach in Bobby Goulding and a transformed squad of youth and experience.

Hope springs eternal for Hornets fans that each new season will be the big one. Maybe this season those hopes will be realised.