Rangers boss glad at return of Whitehead

Coach Shane Tupaea

BEN Whitehead’s reintroduction to the game on home shores had the desired effect for Saddleworth Rangers last week.

The former Huddersfield Giants half-back (20), who played his junior rugby with Waterhead, slotted perfectly into the Rangers side upon his return from Australia, where he had been turning out for the Queanbeyan Kangaroos in the Canberra Raiders Cup.

“Ben gave us a very good kicking game, which was something we had been struggling with,” said coach Shane Tupaea, following a 38-0 home win over Millom which made it back-to-back victories for Saddleworth in the Kingstone Press National Conference League Division One.

“We have also been trying to improve our discipline this year and there were very few unforced errors from us in the Millom game.

“We kept our composure even when the game got heated.”

Tupaea runs the usual summer rugby gauntlet again ahead of tomorrow’s crunch clash at Eccles.

Six changes will need to be made to his 17-man squad due to non-availability as a result of holidays.

But on a positive note, he reckons that the rest of the campaign will run without him losing any players to the beach.

“I feel very confident going into the Eccles game,” Tupaea said. “We had a good win against them earlier this month (30-18 at Shaw Hall Bank Road) and doubled up with the Millom win two weeks later.

“We need to win, to create a cushion between ourselves and the bottom three.

“After that, with nobody else missing, we can go to Mayfield (in two weeks’ time) and have a really good go at them.”

OLDHAM St Anne’s have in front of them an opportunity to move into the top six of Division Two tomorrow.

A win at home over Askam, coupled with a defeat for Stanley Rangers against Pilkington Recs, would push Mick Fogerty’s side into the leading half-a-dozen teams.

Last week, a 29-10 home win over Ovenden — a second victory in four games — provided insurance against the men from Higginshaw Road being drawn into the relegation battle.

However, the picture is looking a little bleak for Division two rivals Waterhead at present.

Chris Hough’s side have now lost in six of their last seven outings — the one positive result being a 34-34 draw with Dudley Hill two weeks ago.

The Peach Road club are second-bottom of the division, with 11 points gained from 16 matches.

Nothing but a win at bottom club Stanningley will do tomorrow, in the quest to regain form and clamber back up the table.