Thunder flashpoint

BILL QUINN: Opinion

ROUGHYEDS chairman Bill Quinn was involved in an amazing on-field bust-up with skipper Robert Roberts in the aftermath of the 34-16 Challenge Cup defeat to Gateshead Thunder.

As the players came off the field following a post-game warm-down at the Darlington Arena, Oldham’s majority shareholder was seen gesticulating angrily towards his own men from outside the entrance to the tunnel.

Roberts then became involved in a verbal exchange with Quinn and a brief bout of pushing, which threatened to get very ugly, ended when the pair were physically separated and the Roughyeds captain retreated to the away changing room.

Tensions continued to simmer as the players showered and dressed and while the squad are understood to be unhappy with Quinn’s actions, the 43-year-old chairman played down the unsavoury events.

“It was nothing,” Quinn said. “The players have their view, I have mine and I am entitled to express it.”

The flashpoint came at the end of a game in which the Roughyeds failed to take full advantage of a bright start.

Tony Benson’s side led 6-4 at half-time but that lead could and should have been greater, and Gateshead responded well with a devastating four-try flurry in the space of 13 second-half minutes to effectively settle the tie.

It landed the side from the north-east a plum home draw in the quarter-finals against holders St Helens — only serving to underline the sense that this was a big opportunity missed by the Roughyeds.

Benson, who wouldn’t comment on Quinn’s actions, now has the task of lifting his players for the home game against Hunslet Hawks on Sunday.

It is the final home Co-operative Championship One game at Boundary Park before the pitch repair work begins.

The only injury concern to emerge from the Gateshead game was Marcus St Hilaire. The centre was feeling a tight hamstring and will be checked in training this week, along with Craig Robinson (ankle) and Wayne Kerr (knee), who both missed the last-16 tie through injury.