I’Anson takes on Roberts inspiration

JAMIE I’Anson: crucial try

JAMIE I’Anson says he was spurred on by his captain Robert Roberts to score what could be a crucial last minute try against Sheffield.

The 21-year-old prop forward picked up his second score of the game in the dying moments right under the posts and when Andy Ballard did the honours by converting, it brought the Roughyeds to just within bonus point territory.

It was a rare crossing of the whitewash for the outstanding former Celtic Crusaders player, voted the Chronicle’s man-of-the-match for his efforts.

“I didn’t realise the bonus point situation at the time,” admitted I’Anson, who is relishing coming across many of the players he trained with as a youngster at Leeds Rhinos when Oldham travel to play Hunslet on Sunday.

“But ‘Two Bobs’ kept on shouting ‘bonus point, bonus point’ which kept us going.

“I am not used to scoring tries — I didn’t get any at all last season — so it was good to get a double.

“I still think I have a lot more to give but that was my best game for the club so far.”

I’Anson helped ignite a terrific comeback which Oldham couldn’t quite sustain against higher-division opponents when he came off the bench to claim his first try.

However, while the team ultimately found it just beyond them to turn a 20-2 deficit into a victory, I’Anson remains in upbeat mood.

“I could tell we were under the pump and that they needed to be slowed down at the ruck, while we needed to get going forward,” he said of his second half reintroduction from the bench.

“It is the best part of my game, the go-forward and aggression, so I was glad to get the chance to use it.

“But it is the nature of rugby league that you can’t afford to take your foot off the gas for a second, as it can cause you to lose the game. We slacked off for a couple of minutes and paid the price.

“But I look at it as three games in just over nine days. During that time we have beaten a very good side from the division above (Widnes) and hammered a team from our own league (Rochdale).

“There were a lot of tired bodies out there on Sunday. It is no excuse, but at the same time it isn’t the end of the world.

“We picked up a bonus point and look well placed to qualify.”