Entertaining Oldham make terrific viewing
Reporter: Roughyeds round up: Comment by MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date published: 08 April 2009
CELEBRATING GOOD TIMES: Chris Baines (centre) embraces scorer Marcus St Hilaire (left) and Paul O’Connor during the Lézignan try-fest.
THE SEASON starts here.
After beating Lézignan in one of the most open and attractive contests in years, the big matches are really beginning to stack up for Oldham.
First up it is Rochdale on Good Friday, for what seems certain to be a fiercely fought local derby. The teams met in a one-sided 54-4 battle in the Northern Rail Cup earlier this year, the but few are expecting a far better prepared Hornets outfit to give Tony Benson's men anything like such a comfortable ride this time around.
The following week, the Roughyeds face a home game against fellow joint title favourites Dewsbury Rams — who were, up until being eliminated from the Challenge Cup by Sheffield, one of only two clubs outside Super League to have gone through 2009 unbeaten — at Boundary Park.
Add to that a winnable Challenge Cup last-16 tie up in Gateshead in early May, a home Northern Rail Cup quarter-final tie at home against Featherstone a month later and two huge league games against revitalised neighbours Swinton Lions in-between.
It is some schedule and at times like these, Benson will thank his lucky stars for a squad that is significantly larger than that which predecessor Steve Deakin had to traverse a similarly packed schedule with last season.
It isn't a case of simply admiring the size, either — Roughyeds fans present at the Lézignan game couldn't help but feel the quality.
From the depths of despair at losing to Keighley for the third year running, the mood has brightened considerably.
Oldham head into the Hornets derby with sky-high confidence after running in no less than 22 tries in 160 minutes of rugby league.
Workington and Lézignan have felt the force of 66-14 and 60-30 losing margins respectively, though the latter game felt a lot closer than the scoreline suggested.
Hopefully, the crowds will soon rise above the sad figure of 863 which greeted the vibrant French at Boundary Park. That was still the second-highest figure from the last four home matches, with none reaching 900.
The Lézignan tie was worthy of many, many times that number of fans and it was sad to again see so many empty seats dotted around the main stand.
This wasn't, with respect, the visit of London Skolars, or Gateshead. This was the French champions — a side full of giant men and possessing a set of ball-handling skills not seen at Boundary Park for a long time.
Perhaps the televised Challenge Cup double-header on the BBC played its part in diminishing the attendance. Manchester United's crucial home game against Aston Villa in the Premier League could also have had a slight impact.
Still, Oldham chairman Bill Quinn has said many times that rugby league fans in the town must show their support for the team if it is to survive.
Easy words to write in such a harsh economic climate. However, it is the duty of those who were lucky enough to be there on Sunday to spread the word among friends and family.
For sheer entertainment per pound paid at the gate, you would struggle to match it.
Happily, with Benson committed to providing open and free-flowing rugby, there are plenty of opportunities for those who missed out to play catch-up.
