Boults boost for Roughyeds

Jason Boults: A mainstay of the Roughyeds squad.

UNSUNG hero Jason Boults will be playing with the Roughyeds once again next year.

The durable prop forward has been a mainstay of the Oldham side in the last two seasons and was absent for only three matches in 2008 — a superb record considering the attritional nature of his role.

One of the games he missed was the play-off final defeat to Doncaster, the second consecutive year in which the ex-Halifax man suffered selection heartache for the season finale.

But, having handed the 25-year-old a new one-year deal, Oldham chief executive Chris Hamilton believes Boults will once again simply get on with the job in hand without any fuss under his new coach Tony Benson.

“He is a very important member of the team and someone who does a lot of work that gets unnoticed,” said Mr Hamilton.

“For a prop in the modern-day game he is very durable. He has good fitness and has longer spells on the field than usual.

“Jason is appreciated by his team mates and the fans alike.”

“He is also one of those who takes things on the chin — he is not a moaning or complaining type.”

The former Bradford Bulls academy man takes his place among a squad which now numbers 21 first-team players, plus five reserves from last season now on professional contracts.

That isn’t including long-term injury absentee Ben Seru, who is undergoing rehabilitation within the Army set-up following knee ligament surgery. He is expected to return at some point in the middle of 2009.

Fitness tests involving the squad last night were said to have gone well, with Benson and conditioner Martin Roden pleased with the levels the players are already at.