Naylor: Hornets worthy winners

HIDING his hurt and bitter disappointment, Scott Naylor conceded that Hornets were the better side on the day and deserved to win their first silverware in 91 years.

They scored 20 points in the last quarter to break Oldham hearts and plunge Roughyeds to their fifth play-off final defeat in seven years.

Distraught club chairman Chris Hamilton was “too gutted” to comment.

Lee Spencer, Naylor’s No.2, added: “This is sport. You lick your wounds and get over it. I’m over it already.”

Naylor said: “I have no complaints about the manner of Rochdale’s win. Their players did their jobs extremely well. They played the right kind of grand-final rugby and in the end it came good for them.

“I feel for my lads because the season is over now, there’s no comeback next week and we’ve missed out on what we set our hearts on — promotion.

“They’ve given me 100 per cent and more since pre-season training last November, but in rugby you don’t always get what you deserve. We didn’t play our best.”



CENTRE Dave Cookson felt more pain than most of his Roughyeds team-mates after their defeat, writes SIMON SMEDLEY.

Cookson played the final-day clash at the Leigh Sports Village with a fractured jaw.

The 23-year-old, former Oldham St Anne’s ace said: “I dislocated my jaw in the final eliminator against London last week. I went to hospital on Monday and it was then diagnosed as a simple fracture.

“It’s been painful of course, but I couldn’t miss the final game.

“It was just 80 more minutes I needed to get through and I managed it with a skull guard on, although it’s been such a disappointing day in the end.

“It’s not happened for us, so I guess it’s about coming back next season and starting afresh.

“We have to be strong about this, and go for it again. There’s not much else you can do really after a day like this.”