New-boy Gill eager to make his mark

Kieran Gill

KIERAN Gill, Oldham RL Club's new signing from Castleford Tigers, is keen to impress while playing on loan for the Roughyeds.

He celebrated his first try for the club in Sunday's 26-18 win against Whitehaven with a clenched-fist salute to supporters and said afterwards he hoped to score a lot more tries while helping Oldham to climb out of relegation danger.

"I was a bit surprised to know I was playing after only two training runs with the squad, but everybody quickly made me feel at home," said 20-year-old Gill, who is highly regarded at Castleford where he is half way through a full-time, two-year contract.

Before Sunday, he hadn't played since he broke a hand eight weeks ago at Toulouse while on dual-reg duty with League One side Oxford, the Tigers' partner club.

Of his Championship debut with Roughyeds, he said: "I was nervous before the game, but once it started I enjoyed every minute.

HELPED

"I used to be at Salford in Pete Carey's academy side and I also know 'Gaz' Owen and Adam Files from back then, so that helped me to settle in.

"The vocal support the team got from the fans was terrific and I'm looking forward to getting more game time and helping Oldham as much as I can while I'm here."

Whitehaven coach James Coyle, whose side was well beaten after taking an early 12-0 lead, has since described his players as "complacent".

He added: "We thought we'd done enough to kill them off. We thought they would lie down because, going into the game, they were perhaps a little bit fragile after some poor results recently.

"If you give Oldham possession they'll keep on going with you. They were better than us in every aspect of the game."

Next up for Scott Naylor's men is a Friday night trip to Sheffield Eagles (8pm), who will be without former Oldham centre George Tyson, because of a two-game ban.