First look at Oldham’s class of 2015

HOLD ON TIGHT: George Tyson and his Oldham RL team-mates have gone through a tough pre-season training schedule.

OLDHAM RL are back in match action on Sunday - and coach Scott Naylor is looking forward to seeing his squad work following a gruelling pre-season schedule.

Roughyeds travel to Sedgley Park RUFC to take on Kingstone Press Championship One rivals Swinton Lions (3pm).

All the squad will get some game-time, with club skipper Lewis Palfrey the only definite absentee after surgery.

Naylor said: “We’re taking our preparations in steps, but foremost on Sunday I’ll be looking at the overall match fitness of the players and how the new lads are going to fit in.

“We’ll be looking at different systems and plans, though having said that, this pre-season hasn’t seen drastic changes in the way we’ve prepared. We won’t be going daft with changes on Sunday, but I’ll be wanting to give every player available as long as I can on the field.”

It has been hard-going for the players since the last competitive fixture, namely the heartbreaking last-gasp Grand Final loss against Hunslet last October.

Naylor added: “Pre-season has been the toughest of my three here, but that’s good and all the coaching staff have liked what they’ve seen. We’ve been in since mid-November and we’ve trained all the way through. That’s three months hard work the players have put in, and I have been really pleased.”