Roughyeds aim to school Skolars

Scott Naylor’s table-topping Oldham side will be out to rack up a few points against London Skolars at Whitebank on Sunday (3pm kick off).

This new Kingstone Press League One is sure to be as tight and competitive as it is unpredictable - and as the RFL publicity machine keeps reminding us, this season “every minute matters”.

Only three rounds played and leaders Oldham and second-placed Keighley Cougars are the only clubs with 100 per cent records, while fancied teams like North Wales Crusaders and Swinton Lions find themselves in the bottom four.

With consecutive home games against Skolars and then Gloucester All Golds on Sunday week, opportunity knocks for Naylor’s Roughyeds to get points ahead of some extremely tough challenges in May and early June.

For now, Oldham’s focus is to consolidate the slender lead at the top with a comfortable win on a day when closest rivals Keighley entertain North Wales at Cougar Park in a game which could go either way.

Skolars have had an inauspicious start, going out of both cups in the first round and then parting company with coach Joe Mbu.

Unless the form book goes out of the window, Oldham should still be the division’s top dogs come Sunday evening.