Naylor sounds warning

OLDHAM RL Club coach Scott Naylor has warned that a revamped Championship One, including new clubs Oxford, Gloucester and Hemel Stags, will be tougher and more competitive than many people expect.

Two clubs will be promoted — the one finishing top of the nine-club division and the one that wins a six-team play-off featuring those finishing two to seven.

In an open letter to fans Naylor gives an insight into how he will tackle his new job — his first as overall boss — and suggests that club and supporters together can build an “exciting future” at Whitebank.

In it he says that his “playing career is of little relevance” as he looks ahead to the “challenges and pressures” of his first job as head coach.

He added: “When I met the players for the first time as a group much of what was said was in-house and between them, management and coaches, but I can give you a taste of what I told them in respect of how I and my assistant Lee Spencer will go about the job.
“The pre-season programme means as much to me as did my very first pre-season many years ago when I was starting out as a player.

We can look ahead to big things at Oldham but, as I told the players, I can’t do it on my own, nor can they take the club to where it needs to be without the continued backing of fans to whom this club means so much.”

Naylor, who replaced Tony Benson, went on to say he has come to Oldham to “make a difference”.

He added: “I’m a rugby league man full stop. That’s me.”

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