Benson best for the job – Quinn

ROUGHYEDS chairman Bill Quinn has launched an attack on those critical of the appointment of new coach Tony Benson.

A number of higher-profile candidates were rumoured to be in the running for the post and Oldham’s money man admitted that talks had been held with Ellery Hanley.

However, the former Great Britain legend, who left his Doncaster post following the club’s National League Two play-off final victory over the Roughyeds last month, couldn’t offer the level of focus on the job that both owner Quinn and chief executive Chris Hamilton desired.

“Yes, we did speak to him (Hanley) but unfortunately, due to other commitments, he could not give our club the time needed to fulfil the role of head coach,” said Quinn, in a statement posted on the club’s official website.

“It had nothing to do with money, but we felt as a board that we needed someone who was totally focused to enable us to achieve our goals and targets.

“We sat down and had many meetings with many applicants and in the end we felt Tony Benson was the right man for the job. Given the fact that he has not even started work yet, I find some of the comments being made about our new coach totally disrespectful.”

Quinn went on to launch a passionate defence of Hamilton, describing him as “the best chief executive the club will ever have”, while also calling for for a bigger level of support from rugby league followers in the town next year given the high-quality signings that have been made.

The latest of those is Paul O’Connor, the hugely popular full-back who won four player-of-the-year awards in 2008.

The 24-year-old has penned a new one-year deal to keep him at the club and, despite rumours to the contrary, the former Widnes and Great Britain Students man said he was always keen to stay on with the Roughyeds.

He said: “As soon as I learned that there was an offer on the table for me to sign on again and I was happy to take it.

“It was an easy decision to make. Money didn’t come into it. More important to me was the fact that there was some unfinished business to attend to, like making it third time lucky and winning promotion.”

O’Connor is the ninth member of last year’s squad to commit for next season, with six new faces — Andy Ballard, Thomas Coyle, Gary Sykes, Craig Robinson, Paul Highton and Paul Reilly — coming in, plus five players who have turned professional after starring in the reserves last year.