Patience pays off for Nield

Tom Dempsey

LOYALTY and perseverance have paid off for Steven Nield who, in his fourth season at Whitebank, has finally got the job he always wanted.

He has played consistently well at full-back in Oldham’s last eight games, stretching back to the 48-28 home win against Oxford at the beginning of May.

In the next game he scored the sensational, last-gasp try that gave Roughyeds a 31-30 win against York and his confidence and self-belief have grown steadily ever since.

Life at Whitebank is sweet right now for the former Saddleworth Rangers junior, but it wasn’t always like that.

Last season, his first as a member of the senior squad, he couldn’t get his hands on his favourite full-back’s shirt, which was then worn by Italian international Richard Lepori.

Elsewhere, in a back line dominated by Mo Agoro, David Cookson, Jon Ford and Dale Bloomfield there were few opportunities for Nield to show his versatility at centre or wing.

He made only six senior appearances, all of them at centre and all of them in the early part of the campaign.

For the remainder of the year he was on the outside looking in, back in the under-20s and playing variously at full-back, centre and wing.

“It was tough at the time,” said Nield. “Everybody was playing well and I couldn’t get an opening. I just had to bide my time.

“It was hard to get into the team, but I could see how well the other lads were playing so I had to accept it. It was just one of those things.”

Lepori’s departure at the end of last season created an opening at full-back, but Nield then found himself in competition with another local, Tom Whitehead, who lost his place after a bad defeat at Hunslet on Good Friday.

Nield added: “I’ve had to be patient, but I’m getting a good run now and I’m loving every minute.

“Everyone is starting to click. We are playing well as a team and hopefully we are coming good at the right time.”

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