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                                                  ROB ROBERTS
 
WELSH international Rob Roberts -- known as 'Two Bobs' throughout rugby league -- is expected to play a huge part in anything Roughyeds achieve in 2008. He joined the club midway through the 2007 campaign, signing to the end of the season as Steve Deakin moved for an old head to add vital experience to a young pack.
 
He had departed Leigh earlier that year after what Deaks had described as a clash of personalities and he was, in fact, without a club when Roughyeds not only brought him in from the cold, but quickly made him captain. It was to prove a masterstroke.
 
Roberts crowned his debut at York with a last-minute drop goal that earned Roughyeds a draw and he went on to become a significantly influential individual over the last dozen games of the season. He led the side from the second-row and used all the experience gained in a long career to guide Roughyeds to the NL2 Grand Final with play-off wins against Workington and Swinton at Boundary Park and Barrow at Craven Park.
 
He did more than enough to earn a new one-year contract, fully justifying the faith Deaks showed in him.
 
Leeds-born Roberts has played at Super League level for Hull, Huddersfield and Halifax and has also played for Keighley and Leigh as well as having a stint in Australia. Deaks knew what he was doing when he signed 'Two Bobs' because he had coached him at Keighley and Huddersfield.
 
Starting his pro career with Keighley, he quickly aroused the interest of the big clubs and in 1999, aged 21, he had a good season with Hull, making 26 appearances.
 
A short stint at Halifax followed and then, in 2001, he played for York, Hunslet and Keighley for a second time before joining Huddersfield Giants. Despite that club's relegation he agreed to stay and, in 2002, he was one of the Giants' leading players in the Northern Ford Premiership.
 
A spell Down Under followed. He played in the Newcastle competition and then for Tumut in country football. Returning to the UK, he signed for Leigh, but things did not work out for him at Hilton Park and ultimately Leigh's loss became Oldham's gain.