Oldham Rugby League Football Club » News

DONCASTER 40 OLDHAM 18

stevenbaldwin — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:22:39 +0000

INJURIES and illness have ravaged the Roughyeds dressing room in the last two or three weeks and these unwelcome ‘invaders’ certainly had a big bearing on what happened at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Tony B was forced to field a side without lots of regular first-team players and you are always going to be up against it when you take on the league leaders away from home in those circumstances.
Later he praised his patched-up side for their commitment and said: “I’ll just be glad when I can get something like a full-strength side out on the pitch again.
“I was happy with the way we played in the first half because we competed and had a go despite being depleted.
“But we had John Clough sin-binned at the end of the half and it proved deadly when they scored two tries early on after the break.”
Roughyeds trailed only 10-4 at half-time, but Doncaster took control afterwards.
Shaun Robinson, Michael Ward, David Cookson and Miles Greenwood scored Oldham tries, while Jamie Dallimore added one goal.
Robbo later had to quit with a broken hand — yet another example of our cruel luck with injuries.
Team: Greenwood; Onyango, Cookson, Brocklehurst, Robinson; Holroyd, Dallimore; Boults, Clough, Gilchrist, Ward, Bentley, M Roden. Subs: Acton, Cunningham, Ellison, Johnson.
It was Sam Cunningham’s first-team debut while, in stark contrast, it was Jason Boults’s 200th game of his professional career.

Oldham close in on two signings

stevenbaldwin — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:31:28 +0000

OLDHAM RL appear to be closing in on two signings ahead of Sunday’s home game against Whitehaven.
“Hopefully, things could be happening later today and again tomorrow,” said chairman Chris Hamilton.
The injury crisis at Whitebank, which has claimed a dozen victims, has caused the postponement of tonight’s reserve-team game at York.
It’s the first time in the new Oldham club’s 15-year existence that Roughyeds have had to call off a match due to an injury pile-up.
Reserve-team boss Paul Ashton is wrestling with his own squad’s injuries.
And to exacerbate the player shortage right through the club, several reserves-cum-first team fringe men like David Cookson, Liam Gilchrist, Michael Ward, Jamie Acton, Sam Cunningham and Bruce Johnson played senior rugby at Doncaster last Sunday and will probably be required again this weekend.
“Our decision to postone the reserves game is a reflection of our player shortage,” added Hamilton.
“We are working desperately hard in a bid to strengthen before weekend and we have spoken to a lot of contacts and to a lot of clubs.
“There is plenty of potential for players to come, but there is absolutely no point — even faced with our current situation — in signing players for the sake of it.
“They need to be better than anything we’ve got.”

ORSA date change

stevenbaldwin — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:17:54 +0000

The Oldham Roughyeds’ Supporters’ Association’s Family Quiz Night, scheduled for this Friday, May 18, has been postponed and rearranged for Friday, June 22 at Higginshaw ARLFC Community Club (8pm).
A Family Race Night will be held on Friday, August 3, also at Higginshaw (7.30pm).
ORSA are looking for horse and race sponsors and programme advertisers.
Contact Paul Whalley on 07796631192 or by email at: orsa@hotmail.co.uk

ROUGHYEDS RESERVES 14 HALIFAX 22

stevenbaldwin — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:49:20 +0000

OUR Reserves lost ground in the jostle for position in the upper reaches of the Reserves Under-23s Championship when beaten by a very determined Halifax side at Whitebank last Thursday night (May 3).
Centre David Cookson, sub Danny Moran and centre Ben Hinsley scored our tries and Steven Nield converted the second-half Hinsley touchdown after Mark Smith had failed narrowly on the angle to improve the first-half tries by Cookson and Moran.
Halifacx won the toss and gave us first use of the slope, but we led only 8-6 at half-time after failing to turn our territorial advantage into points. In the final analysis it was probably our failure to put more points on the board in the first 40 that cost us the game.
Cookson scored well out wide on the right as early as the fifth minute, but a length-of-the-field breakaway try by Fax left-wing Chris Holroyde on the interception in the 18th minute, converted by Gareth Hynes, edged the visitors in front at 8-6.
Excellent work by prop Bruce Johnson and sub centre Michael Ward paved the way for our second try by Moran on the half hour and it was that which allowed us to turn round with a two-point lead.
Fax had the advantage of the slope in the second 40, however, and they played it well to make it extremely difficult for Roughyeds to break out of their own quarter.
The Yorkshire lads scored two more tries to take a 16-8 lead and although we narrowed the deficit when Hinsley touched down after a clever, angled grubber by Smith, it was Fax who had the last laugh when they scored a fourth try by former Roughyeds player Joe Chandler.
A disappointed Roughyeds coach Paul Ashton said: “Quite simply, we didn’t turn up. We had trained and prepared well, but we didn’t put our game plan into practise. It was disappointing because I know we can do so much better than this.
“For some reason they seemed to want it more than we did. Their forwards made massive ground and that made life easy for the Halifax halfbacks, who controlled the game.”
One of the more positive aspects of the game was the promising performance on the right wing of young Greg Worrall, son of the old club’s former Great Britain star Mick Worrall.
Team: Nield; Worrall, Cookson, Hinsley, Thompson; Connick, Noon; Johnson, Hughes, Gilchrist, Langtree, Cunningham, Smith. Subs: Moran, Joy, Ward, Foreman.

Oldham seek answer to injury problems

stevenbaldwin — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:46:30 +0000

INJURY-RAVAGED Oldham RL have two objectives as they strive to find a winning formula for Sunday’s crucial clash with Whitehaven at Whitebank (3pm).
The first is to get some of their walking wounded back in harness.
The second is to bolster the squad with a couple of new faces.
Club officials sent out a message today, assuring fans they are working overtime on both missions.
Last night’s get-together was more of a medical assessment session than a training run, but coaching staff and players are closing ranks in readiness for the weekend’s backs-to-the-wall battle.
Prop Dave Ellison is the latest addition to the casualty list, having picked up a hamstring injury in last Sunday’s loss at Doncaster.
The list currently numbers 12, of whom three have broken bones and two more can also be classed as long-term casualties.
Of the rest, Mark McCully and Danny Whitmore have the best chance of getting the all-clear as each is recovering from flu.
Alex Thompson (groin), Paul Noone (ankle) and Ellison are said to be making steady progress, but it is too early yet to say whether any of them will be ready in time.
Utility back Chris Murphy, who smashed a knee pre-season and has since failed to respond to treatment, will have a scan tomorrow.
Winger Shaun Robinson, who broke a hand at the Keepmoat Stadium, has an appointment with the fracture clinic.
Paul Smith (hamstring) and Chris Clarke (shoulder) are likely to be out for a few more weeks yet.
Said chairman Chris Hamilton: “Bringing in new players isn’t easy and it doesn’t happen overnight, but a couple of fresh faces right now would come in handy and we are working hard with that in mind.”
Due to the injury crisis, the club will look at tomorrow night’s scheduled reserve team game at York and discuss player availability with coach Paul Ashton, who had only three subs against Keighley last Thursday.
More information, meanwhile, has emerged about the Matthew Fogarty situation.
Due to work commitments he was given permission to miss training last Tuesday on condition that he would report early on Thursday.
He didn’t show at all on Thursday or on Saturday, for the final session of the week, and coach Tony Benson didn’t get any telephone calls of explanation.
Said Benson: “I didn’t hear anything from Foggy after Tuesday, but it wasn’t a case of him not returning my calls.”
The club points out, however, that if any player is going to miss a training session the onus is on him to ring in and explain why.
Fans wishing to travel on the free bus to Whitebank on Sunday from The Junction, Ripponden Road (depart 2pm) must ring 0161 633 2759 to reserve a place.

Benson makes rallying call to fans

stevenbaldwin — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:37:48 +0000

TONY Benson has made a rallying call to fans in the wake of Oldham RL Club’s poor run of results.
Roughyeds have gone four league games without a win — three defeats, one draw — and have dropped out of Championship One’s top four.
But the long-serving Kiwi boss, in his fourth season with the club, has revealed that Roughyeds have been hit by a series of off-the-field setbacks as well as suffering from an injury list of horrendous proportions.
No fewer than TEN first-teamers were ruled out of last Sunday’s 40-18 defeat at table-topping Doncaster by injury or illness.
He also revealed that:
PAUL BALLARD, a winger signed only this season, has retired from the game.
MATTY SYRON, a dual-registered prop from Leeds Rhinos, couldn’t play in the last two games because the Super League club recalled him.
MATTHEW FOGARTY, the club’s young centre, has gone absent without leave.
He didn’t train last week in the build-up to the Doncaster game.
The other 10 non-starters, some of them long-term injury victims, were John Gillam (broken toe), Luke Stenchion (broken hand), Chris Clarke (shoulder), Neil Roden (torn thigh muscle), Danny Whitmore (flu), Mark McCully (flu), Paul Noone (ankle), Paul Smith (hamstring), Chris Murphy (knee) and Alex Thompson (groin).
The list has now grown to 11 because winger Shaun Robinson broke a hand at the Keepmoat Stadium and now awaits a consultation at the fracture clinic on Thursday.
Stenchion’s surgery has gone smoothly —- he had his post-op consultation yesterday — but it still isn’t known how long he will be out.
Gillam and Stenchion were both injured in bizarre circumstances while Noone and Smith were hurt at London Skolars on a pitch which last Sunday was declared unfit to stage a game against South Wales because it was rutted.
Said Benson: “These are not excuses, but facts. We are not saying other clubs don’t pick up injuries, but there isn’t a club in the game who would not be adversely affected by the situation we are in now.
“We are working extremely hard to get back on track, but everyone at the club and everyone who supports the club needs to pull together.
“Some of those who couldn’t play at Doncaster were ruled out at the last minute and then we had the Shaun Robinson injury which meant further disruption and further changes as well as limitations on how we could use the subs.
“Because so many players are injured, the reserves had only three subs last Thursday and two of the boys who played in that match, Mark Brocklehurst and Sam Cunningham, were forced into action again at Doncaster only three days later.
“Brocky did the full 80 in both games while Cunningham, who has joined us after being released by Whitehaven, was called upon to make the big leap from reserves to first team in the space of such a short time.
“We need all the support we can get right now and I trust and hope the fans will turn up in numbers at Whitebank on Sunday to get behind the team in another extremely important game against Whitehaven.
“Fans have been terrific in their support of the team this year, but now is the time to display an even bigger show of loyal support.”
The club is actively looking for players and with that high on the agenda several meetings attended by club chairman Chris Hamilton, Benson and his No 2 Martin Roden have taken place since the home defeat by North Wales Crusaders ten days ago.
The chairman said: “No stone will be left unturned. We are all pulling in the same direction and we are all focused on working together as a group to get things right for Sunday’s game against Whitehaven.”

Semi-final draw produces thrilling Wembley repeats

stevenbaldwin — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:16:40 +0000

Holders Wigan Warriors will continue their defence of Rugby League’s oldest and most prestigious trophy with a semi-final against Leeds Rhinos, the team they beat at Wembley last August.

The Warriors reached the last four by defeating arch-rivals St Helens whilst Leeds, the Super League champions, defeated the last remaining Championship club in this year’s competition, Leigh Centurions on Friday night.

The other semi-final is a repeat of the 2009 Carnegie Challenge Cup final and sees Huddersfield Giants looking to exact revenge for their 25-16 Wembley defeat by Warrington Wolves.

Both teams progressed to the semi-finals with Warrington completing a hard-fought victory over Catalan Dragons in Perpignan and Huddersfield cruising to an impressive win at home to London Broncos.

The semi-finals for the 2012 Carnegie Challenge Cup final will both be televised live on BBC Sport over the weekend of July 14-15. Details of the neutral venues for both ties will be confirmed this week.

Rugby League fans can take advantage of some competitive accommodation rates in and around London for the 2012 Carnegie Challenge Cup final on Saturday August 25.

Many hotels have kept prices at the same levels – or lower – than last year to encourage bookings between the peak periods for the Olympic Games in July and the Paralympics in September.

Tickets for the 2012 Carnegie Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday August 25 cost from just £21 and are now on sale. Family tickets giving access to one of British sport’s most historic fixtures to two adults and two children are also available, priced £55 or £79.

To purchase tickets please call the RFL Ticket Office on 0844 856 1113 or visit www.carnegiechallengecup.co.uk/

-ends-

John Ledger

Communications Manager
The Rugby Football League

Red Hall, Red Hall Lane, Leeds, LS17 8NB

Phone : 0113 237 5049

Mobile : 07801 195525

john.ledger@rfl.uk.com
www.therfl.co.uk

Roughyeds Reserves 28 Keighley Cougars Reserves 28

stevenbaldwin — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:53:39 +0000

STEVEN Nield scored a try, made another and kicked two goals as Oldham RL reserves drew 28-28 with Keighley Cougars at Whitebank last night.
Playing on the right wing, the former Saddleworth Rangers back fastened on to Tommy Connick’s cross kick to score the second Roughyeds try in the 17th minute before returning the favour by dashing up the wing and putting the ball inside to Connick to score the home side’s fourth try in the second half.
Other Oldham tries were recorded by winger Kyle Fisher, hard-running forward Danny Moran and substitute hooker Scott Mansfield, while Nield (2) and Mark Smith each kicked two goals.
Roughyeds, who led 8-6 at half-time, lost their lead for the first time with only seven minutes left.
In an end-to-end finish the home side then went 28-22 up with Mansfield’s try and two goals before Cougars snatched the draw with a converted try on the last play of the game.
Team: Brocklehurst; Nield, Worrall, Dean, Fisher; Connick, Noon; Joy, Hughes, Langtree, Cunningham, Hinsley, Smith. Subs: Mansfield, Moran, Foreman.
Due to the large number of injuries at first-team level, only Brocklehurst of the seniors was made available to reserves coach Paul Ashton, who had to settle for going into this game with only three substitutes.

Doncaster game

stevenbaldwin — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:51:20 +0000

ROUGHYEDS couldn’t face a tougher test than Sunday’s trip to the Keepmoat Stadium (3pm kick off) to face an in-form Doncaster side that tops the Championship One table with six wins out of seven and boasts a points haul of 286 (40 a game on average) which leaves every other club miles behind.
Luke Stenchion (broken hand) has joined winger John Gillam (broken toe) and club captain Neil Roden (torn thigh muscle) on the long-term injury list.
Paul Noone (ankle) won’t make this one, but he hopes to be ready for the next game against Whitehaven at Whitebank on Sunday week.
Back-row forward Alex Thompson, who didn’t play against Crusaders, was suffering from a stomach upset early in the week and he will be among several other players to face late fitness checks.
They include Paul Smith (hamstring), Jason Boults (wrist), Mark McCully (knee), Lucas Onyango (hamstring) and Chris Clarke (shoulder).
Smith and Onyango are thought to be the biggest doubts.
Said coach Tony Benson: “Lucas (Onyango) was able to join the squad for some of the training this week and that was encouraging. He’s still extremely doubtful for weekend, however. All the injured will be given as long as possible so I won’t be finalising the squad until Saturday.”
If Boults plays he will reach the milestone of 200 career games, having played 57 for Halifax and 142 for Oldham.
Roughyeds will face a stern defensive test out wide where Doncaster’s backs are setting a hot pace as Championship One leading try scorers.
Winger Tom Hodson is out in front with 13 league tries — four more than his second-placed team mate and centre, Lee Waterman.
Workington’s Elliott Miller is in third place with eight, followed in joint fourth place with seven by Barrow’s Liam Campbell and Oldham’s Miles Greenwood.
Jamie Dallimore has kicked more goals in the league than anyone else — 21 — but Doncaster’s star man Paul Cooke, the former Hull FC playmaker, is close behind him on 19.
Loose-forward Grant Edwards (knee) and winger Dean Colton (knee) are likely to miss out, but the home side expect to be boosted by the return of former Roughyeds forward Craig Robinson after injury.
They go into the game on the back of consecutive home and away wins against Rochdale which have carried them to top spot, two points ahead of Workington and Barrow, but having played one game more.
Oldham lie fourth, three points behind the Cumbrian clubs, but with Whitehaven breathing down their neck only one point behind.

Gloucester join Championship 1

stevenbaldwin — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:19:56 +0000

The RFL has today confirmed University of Gloucestershire All Golds as the third of four new teams that will join the semi-professional Championship 1 Rugby League competition in 2013.
In a unique set-up, the All Golds will be based at and run by the University of Gloucestershire and will also benefit from close links with Super League and World Club champions Leeds Rhinos, who have been active in developing the sport in the South West in recent years.
RFL Chief Operating Officer Ralph Rimmer said: “We are delighted to announce that University of Gloucestershire All Golds will join Northampton and Hemel Stags in taking their place in Championship 1 in 2013.
“The All Golds are another exciting addition who will enhance the competition and the sport in many ways.
“Once again we are breaking new territory for Rugby League in terms of geographical expansion which will ultimately grow the player pool by giving increasing numbers of players from across the country the opportunity to play the sport at semi-professional level.
“They have a remarkable combination of history combined with some exciting plans for the future and with their set-up at the University they will be unique amongst their peers.”
The University All Golds are currently rated as one of the top eight student sides in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Super 8 League and finished third last season. In April, this year, they launched their junior academy, attracting over 100 players to their first trials and now run U14, U16 and U18 squads.
Since January 2011 they have implemented a number of community strategies and are currently delivering Rugby League in eight primary schools, 14 secondary schools and have seen an increase in Rugby League participation numbers by 550 new players since the beginning of the year.
Director of Sport at the University of Gloucestershire, Andy Pitchford, said: “The announcement builds on many years of hard work, led by both enterprising students and supportive members of the local community.
“The team now play at the very highest level of student sport, with 12 student internationals, two full internationals and three students who have made their professional debuts this season. The professional club is the natural next step for those both on and off the pitch.
“We are particularly grateful to Lionel Hurst, the Chairman of our Student/BUCS club, for his leadership and for his encouragement to push for this ambitious project. We are grateful to all of the partners who have helped us to bring this to reality, including the RFL and the Leeds Rhinos.”
Leeds Rhinos Chief Executive Gary Hetherington said: “It’s an exciting opportunity for the game’s development at this level and we at Leeds Rhinos are keen to lend our support as part of our continued assistance to the growth of Rugby League in the South West region.”
For more information about the University of Gloucestershire visit: www.glos.ac.uk/ugrl