Warrior awaits ‘nice reception’

ROLLING back the years . . . Darren Robinson, pictured for Oldham in 1998, will be looking to put one over his former club on Sunday.

DARREN Robinson will always be part of Oldham RL folklore — given that he was the second player to sign for the ‘new’ Roughyeds club in 1997.

John Hough, who has had an unbroken link with the club ever since, put pen to paper just a few hours before Robinson

It was December 2, 1997, and by the turn of the year the club had enough players to go to Rochdale for a Law Cup game — and win.

In the 14 years since then he has also played for Rochdale Hornets, Batley Bulldogs and Hunslet Hawks — and he has always relished the chance to test himself against the club that gave him his first break, often arousing the ire of Oldham fans.

At the age of 31, he left the professional game to put something back with his local amateur club, Hunslet Warriors.

Now, in the third round of the 2011 Carnegie Challenge Cup, National Conference League side Warriors meet Oldham.

“I’m sure I’ll get a nice, warm reception from the Oldham faithful on Sunday,” he said, as the Warriors prepared to play in the first Challenge Cup tie to take place at the Whitebank Stadium.

“I love playing for Warriors. We might be amateurs, but we are very competitive and we have a winning mentality.

“We’ve loads of ex-pro experience in the side too, and a few of the lads could still be playing pro if they chose to.

“We are having a fantastic season — one defeat in 21 games — and we’ll be going to Oldham with no pressure on us and determined to give it our best shot.”

The Warriors are coached by Castleford Tigers and former Huddersfield and Wakefield star Paul Jackson, who has steered them to the top of NCL Division Two, having dropped only one league point all season in a draw at Eastmoor Dragons.

Robinson has been playing stand-off in recent games, but will probably be on the bench at Oldham, providing cover for both stand-off and hooker.