Lions bite back after shaky start

MIDDLE MAN: Luke Menzies, in action against Dewsbury Rams last week, is expected to retain his place at home to Swinton Lions on Sunday.

ROUGHYEDS OUT TO RUIN PERFECT RECORD

OLDHAM will bid to bounce back from last week’s Dewsbury disappointment by putting Swinton to the sword for the eighth successive time.

The Roughyeds haven’t tasted defeat against the Lions in cup, league or play-off games since going down 17-10 at Sedgley Park in July, 2007.

However, to keep that run going at Boundary Park on Sunday (3pm kick off), Tony Benson’s men will once again need to shatter an impeccable league record.

As with Dewsbury, 36-12 victors at the same ground last week, Swinton boast a 100-per-cent record in Co-operative Championship One so far, gaining four wins from four matches played.

Overall, though, despite the marked improvement from a wretched campaign last year, the Lions’ season thus far has been a mixed bag.

Paul Kidd’s men lost their opening three games in the Northern Rail Cup.

The first of those defeats was a 50-0 whitewash at Dewsbury, though there was a slight recovery in two close losses to sides from the division above, 34-26 at home to Leigh and 36-28 at Doncaster.

Swinton then scraped through their fourth-round Carnegie Challenge Cup tie away at Siddal, but were given a severe scare along the way to a 10-6 victory at The Shay.

From that point on, though, they have lost only once, 28-22 at home to Hornets RL in the fourth round of the Challenge Cup.

The five-match winning streak has seen the team defeat Workington in a dead-rubber Northern Rail Cup tie, followed by league wins at London Skolars (66-16), at home to Keighley (36-28), at Blackpool (16-12) and, most recently, against Workington at Sedgley Park (42-28).

It can’t be merely coincidence that Lions’ upturn in fortunes has coincided with the return to fitness of stand-off Graham Holroyd.

Now 33, the talented former Leeds, Salford and Halifax star remains massively influential on the field and Oldham will set their stall out to stifle one of the very best half-backs outside of Super League.

“He is guiding us around on the field well and just his presence alone helps our younger players,” said the Swinton assistant coach and former Oldham forward Wes Rogers.

“He is still on the comeback trail after a long injury lay-off, so probably isn’t quite up to full speed yet.”

A number of Lions players will be extra-keen to perform well at Boundary Park.

Former Waterhead flyer Carl Sneyd will turn out against his home town, though an injury doubt hangs over fellow Oldhamer Dave Newton. Of the other ex-Roughyeds within the Swinton squad, prop Paul Southern has an ankle injury which may prevent him playing and second row Tommy Grundy has a bicep problem that leaves him struggling.

Front row man Gareth Hayes could make an appearance, having impressed against Workington last week.

“To be honest we have been a bit hit and miss this season and haven’t really performed for 80 minutes yet,” Rogers added.