Ford: Great to be back

JON FORD: back to Whitebank

SALFORD centre Jon Ford is back at Whitebank on dual registration after a loan with Sheffield Eagles in the Championship.

The deal was completed late on Friday and the 20 year old went straight into the Oldham side that beat York City Knights 31-30 yesterday.

Ford played in his usual left-centre spot, from where he scored 21 tries in 15 games for Roughyeds last year.

Ford didn’t score, but sent winger Dale Bloomfield in for the first of his three tries by getting on the end of a slick four-man passing movement.

“What happens to me now is up to the two clubs,” said Ford. “It was great to be back in the Oldham side — I enjoyed it so much last year — but I have little say in it. It’s all down to Oldham and Salford.”

Coach Scott Naylor explained that for most of his stay in 2013, Ford was on long-term loan: “This year he’s come on dual-reg. That means there isn’t as much permanency about the move.

“Under the terms of the agreement they have complete control over where and when he goes. He goes back to train with Salford on Tuesday and who knows, they might want him back.”

Roughyeds had a setback when hooker Adam Files suffered a recurrence of a knee injury which had kept him sidelined for two months. He had been on the field only six minutes a a sub when he went down in pain.

“Hopefully, we’ll know more about this by the middle of the week,” added Naylor.

Hat-trick winger Dale Bloomfield said the team is still not operating for 80 minutes: “We need to be more ruthless. We’ll get a roasting from Scott Naylor at training on Tuesday.”

Chairman Chris Hamilton said Roughyeds showed unbelievable character to come from behind and win in hot, humid conditions after defending almost non-stop in the second half.