Players itching for a game — Naylor

Reporter: Simon Smedley
Date published: 22 January 2015


OLDHAM RL’s players are itching to get stuck into pre-season match action.

It’s more than three months since the Roughyeds’ last competitive game — the heartbreaking last-ditch Kingstone Press Championship One Grand Final defeat against Hunslet at Headingley.

Since then head coach Scott Naylor has tinkered with his squad, which is now smaller in number but features new signings Jack Holmes, Jarrod Ward and Adam Neal.

Former loan men George Tyson, Gareth Owen and youngster Jake Hughes are also now full Roughyeds players.

Training has been as intense as ever, particularly since the turn of the year, but now the Oldham staff and players are counting the days before the opening warm-up fixture against Swinton on February 1.

Naylor said: “Training has been going very well these last couple of weeks in particular.

“It’s seemed a bit strange at times as we’re a bit down on numbers compared to this time last season, but all the lads have responded well to the coaching team’s ideas.

“Everyone is buying into what we’re trying to do. Pre-season training can be quite boring, though. It’s pretty much the same each year and to be honest it can be difficult keeping the players interested.

“It’s matches the lads are really looking forward to now - but we’ll keep them firmly focused before next week’s Swinton game.

“It does seem to me as though this pre-season has gone quick, and I’m not sure exactly why that is, but match-day can’t come quick enough for the players now.”

The friendly fixture against Swinton on Sunday week is at Sedgley Park RUFC, before the Roughyeds then take travel to Leigh on February 8 and Barrow on February 15.