SECOND SQUAD

2002 season and troubled times causing the club to go into administration

The new Thunder’s first game was a friendly for the Tolent Cup against another club that had been threatened with merger, Sheffield Eagles. The first official game was on the 3^rd December 2000 with an 18 – 0 defeat to Hull Kingston Rovers. They finished third bottom under coach Andy Kelly with back-to-back wins over Hunslet and York and were the only league successes and a win over amateurs Wigan St. Judes in the Challenge Cup.

Financial problems were again to trouble the club. A bold plan for the 2002 season failed, and when only one draw, 12-12 against Featherstone Rovers, was recorded after the first two months, Thunder were forced to cut their losses. Andy Kelly and the club’s 15 Yorkshire-based players, were released as the club went into administration with spiralling debts.