Nanyn’s on brink of mark

MICK Nanyn's hat-trick at Workington moved him to the top of the Roughyeds' try scoring chart.

Ironically, it wasn't one of the prolific centre's most polished performances in an Oldham shirt.

But the former Whitehaven star (pictured above), back on Cumbrian territory, used his power to good effect to help secure a vital three points for the Roughyeds, the final act of his first treble of the season arriving with only two minutes remaining in the game.

Nanyn, who has picked up six tries in as many games, has now jumped ahead of James Coyle with 18 tries to the scrum-half's 17.

The 26-year-old kicked two more goals to help him to a season's tally of 306 points in total, almost half a century clear of his nearest rival in the country, Wigan's Pat Richards, who is on 258.

Nanyn only needs another 15 to break the new Oldham club's record, created by Pat Rich's 320 in the 2000-01 campaign.

Rich's high goals mark of 146, also set that season, is likely to come under threat as well — Nanyn is on 117 at present — while Nick Johnson's 25 tries in a season of 2005 is yet another high mark that could go.

And while such a clean sweep would be a remarkable feat, it wouldn't eclipse the achievement should Nanyn top the all-time club record for points in a campaign, held by the great Bernard Ganley who posted 412 in the 1957-58 season.

To beat that, Nanyn would need to average just over 13 points in the eight games remaining, not withstanding the club's possible involvement in the end-of-season play-offs.

That would be a great tonic ahead of a likely trip representing Scotland in Australia, for the World Cup at the end of the campaign.