Big improvements a must says Mervill

Richard Mervill

NOT good enough: that is the unequivocal verdict of determined Roughyeds prop Richard Mervill on the performance in defeat at Keighley.

It was the third successive year that the 27-year-old, a former favourite of the home crowd at Cougar Park, has trudged off the field feeling that Oldham have handed a game to the opposition.

And with a league season that is only 18 games long this season, Mervill feels that the level of performance needs to rise quickly — starting with this Sunday's home clash with Workington Town at Boundary Park — if further crucial points aren't to go begging in Oldham's quest for promotion.

"It has been a bogey ground for us over at Keighley and is always a difficult place to go to," said Mervill, who has played in the last three games for the Roughyeds since returning from a knee injury.

"But we knew what to expect beforehand and spoke about the challenge we would face, so there are no excuses.

"It is difficult to say what went wrong. We didn't complete at a high enough rate, gave away penalties, dropped off too many tackles — rather than it being one single thing, it was a combination of smaller factors that cost us. We were poor all over the pitch.

"It has to be remembered that it is still early doors. Workington will be another tough game but we will be at home where we are confident of beating anyone.

"It is a question simply of doing things right and working together. There is a good spirit in the dressing room and everyone is together, which will help us."

Mervill believes that the famous win over Widnes Vikings last month illustrates the latent talent that exists within the Roughyeds squad and hopes that it shows itself again soon.

Preferably, well before the mouth-watering clash with the division's form team Dewsbury on Sunday, April 19.

"At the moment there is a lack of confidence," he said.

"You can see from the players that we have got that we should never be losing at Keighley, or trailing 18-4 at half-time at home against Blackpool.

"Other than the Widnes game we haven't really performed all season. We aren't playing well and you can look at it two ways.

"On the one hand, how many points will we drop before we hit our potential? But on the other, we have won five out of seven without finding form.

"We need to fix it sooner rather than later, though."

On a personal level, Mervill also believes there is more still to come. A fire fighter based at Illingworth, Halifax, the Yorkshireman is set to miss four or five games this year due to those work commitments but insists his game shouldn't be otherwise affected.

"I had an injury in pre-season which held me back and that was a bit frustrating," Mervill added.

"I have started the season fairly slowly but feel I am getting better.

"Sunday was a weird one. We lost Tommy Goulden in the warm-up, Robert Roberts came off after five minutes and Jamie I'Anson soon after that, so I ended up playing at loose forward for around 50 minutes when I have never done that before.

"I am doing just about enough at the moment but I know I will improve as the season goes on.

"I am missing a session here and there, which isn't ideal, but on the other hand I am training while I am at work which means I am doing more than ever before."