Rochdale Hornets versus Featherstone Rovers. Just say it - go on, out loud - hmm, resonates with the sound of real Rugby League. Away from the faux gloss of Stupid League and the Rugby League Lite of the Summer conference, it's fixtures like this one that make the herat bounce a little more sprightly.

Featherstone Rovers is the archetypal Rugby League club - completely synonymous with the community in which they're based and true to the ideals of our beautiful game. Fev led the line in the merger wars of 1995 (we were there when they had the sit down half time protest at the game with Castleford - inspiring stuff) and, more recently, it was their own tannoy person who made headlines when he - rather publicly - derided Huddersfield/Sheffield Midgets for their somewhat dubious merger tactics. Respect.

Recent contests have been tight and exciting, and with Fev currently hammering away with Hornets in the higher echelons of the NFP (Home of Real Rugby League - copyright us!), Sunday's fixture should be no different.

And this game throws up a couple of interesting twists. New Coach Andy Kelly - born, bred and dispicably blown-out by Wakefield Trinity, finds himself coaching their local rivals. And he's assisted by Richard Agar, recent departee from Hornets returning to his 'spiritual home' (on a sabbatical from the pro-game a few years back, he even turned out for Featherstone Lions in the Conference). Should give the game a bit of spice, that one. Agar didn't really ever find his form here at Hornets, but we all know waht he's capable of and, if fit, he'll be in the side to taunt us.

And Kelly hits the ground Running at Fev. He'll be keen to continue the momentum gained by the tight unit moulded by former coach Ian Fairhurst. Fulcrum of the team is scrum-half Jamie Rooney. Everything goes through this guy and Latham Tawhai will have to be on his game to nullify this real threat. Up front, uncompromising props 'mad dog' Craig Booth and blockbusting ian Tonks shore up crafty ex-Hornet Gavin Swinson, whilst experienced loose forward Danny Seal steers a traditionaly stalwart Fev pack around the field.

At Hornets, Hally will be more than pleased withj last Sunday's second half as his team exposed Sheffield to be the pretenders we suspected they were. Clawing back a deficit, building a convincing winning margin and keeping the opposition scoreless in the second half is an impressive job well done. But it was the nature of the win that impressed. In Warren Ayres we seem to have finally found a number six that ticks (ooh, poetry). he gives Latham more time with the ball, ships the ball faster to the outside backs, threads Smithy into space and wields a nifty kicking game too. The more he plays there, the better he'll get - and he's been pretty impressive already. Woody's step into the centre should become more comfortable as he gains confidence - all he has to do is follow Smithy around and he'll get plenty of opportunity.

Out wide Iain Higgins and Tommy Cooper give us a hard, uncompromising look reminiscent of last season's combination, while Paul Davidson seems to have found the accelerator and has put in good performances over the last couple of weeks.

We imagine that Hally will look to make as few changes as possible to his improving side and if we play to our potential, this has all the makings if a genuine cracker.

Featherstone supporters are amongst the most passionate in the game and they'll make their presence known at Spotland on Sunday - so if Hornets supporters get behind the lads in numbers, it should make for a great atmosphere.

This is what Rugby League - real Rugby League - is all about. Pride in your town, pride in your team, pride in the shirt. You'd be mad to miss it.