Palfrey – We have to bounce back

Photo: ANTHONY MILLER

MAKING SOME NOISE . . . the Roughyeds faithful did the club proud in Leeds. Photo by Anthony Miller

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OLDHAM’S heartbroken skipper Lewis Palfrey has vowed to bounce back even more determined to succeed next year following the failure of this latest campaign in Kingstone Press Championship One.

Brave Roughyeds lost yesterday’s grand final at the Headingley Carnegie Stadium in Leeds 17-16 to Hunslet - after Thomas Coyle kicked a dramatic drop-goal in extra-time.

It was a stunning sixth straight defeat in Grand Finals for Oldham, so it was no surprise Palfrey struggled to put his acute disappointment into words.

The former Salford, Batley and Whitehaven stand-off, who captained Oldham last October in the 2013 grand final loss against Rochdale, said: “There’s just one word that sums up how I feel – numb.

“It certainly doesn’t get any easier than it was last year. It hurts more than last year because I was a lot more confident this time.

“I felt we had the mental edge over them, having beaten them twice already this year, but it’s funny how things go round. I just have to congratulate Hunslet, it was their day.”

Palfrey is hoping to finally lead his team to the elusive second tier in another 12 months.

The 24 year old, set for Whitebank contract talks this week, said: “I want to remain with Oldham. I’m captain of the club, I love the place and we’ve got a great set of lads.

“The fans are just brilliant. We can’t ask any more of them, other than wishing they’d turn out in that many numbers week in, week out, throughout the season.

“They are fantastic, and in this game they were like a 14th man for us. There’s no-one else like them in our division.”