Roughyeds go from strength to strength

CRAIG THOMAS

CRAIG Thomas, Oldham RL Club’s new strength and conditioning guru, has promised Roughyeds will again be one of the fittest squads in Championship One next season.

Thomas (23), from Moston, succeeds Mike Hughes: “As Mike Hughes’s right-hand man, Craig played a big role in everything we did last season and his promotion was a natural progression,” said team coach Scott Naylor.

“He was an important member of last season’s coaching and conditioning team, working alongside me, Lee Spencer (assistant coach) and Mike, and in that role he did more than enough to show he was ready to take on the top conditioning job.”

Craig joined Oldham in 2012 to work with the second team. Last season, following the appointment of Naylor and Spencer as coaches and Hughes as conditioner, he continued to work with the under-20s, while taking an increasing role with the first team.

He said: “I learned a lot from Mike. Roughyeds were as fit as any team in the division last season and I intend to see they will be just as well prepared this time.”