Hughes hooks up with Oldham

RELUCTANT hero Kenny Hughes has committed to Roughyeds for another year.

It takes to 17 the number of signings announced by the club, 13 of them returning players..

Hughes (23), who has played hooker all his career, filled in as a stop-gap half-back over the second half of last season while never feeling totally comfortable in that pivotal role.

He operated on the left-hand side of the attack, performing a similar function to that carried out by skipper Lewis Palfrey on the right.

He has signed a new one-year contract after talks with coach Scott Naylor in which he reaffirmed his preference for the hooking position.

Said assistant coach Lee Spencer: "Kenny played for much of last season out of position and it takes a lot of bottle to step into such a key role when it's not one he particularly likes.

"He's a good footballer - that's why he could do the half-back job for us - and on top of that he's tough and aggressive defensively for his size."

Said Hughes: "Half-back wasn't a position I was used to, but I got on with the job to the best of my ability, just happy to be in the side.

"I've spoken to Scott Naylor about next season and as Danny Whitmore and Brett Robinson have now arrived he will regard me more as a hooker again and that suits me fine. He knows I'd like to take my chance at hooker and fight for my place there."

Once a youngster at St Helens, like Danny Langtree, Hughes will be in his fourth term at Oldham, having spent two seasons in the reserves before earning promotion to the first-team squad to coincide with the arrival of Naylor and Spencer this time last year.