Roughyeds land Giants full-back

OLDHAM have swooped to sign promising Benji Lloyd on a season-long loan from Huddersfield Giants.

It represents a homecoming for the Oldham-born full-back, who played his junior rugby at Saddleworth Rangers and came through the local Service Area ranks before making a professional debut as a 17-year-old for Rochdale Hornets under then coach Bobbie Goulding in February of last year.

Lloyd’s second, and last, appearance for the Hornets first team came in a 38-8 defeat at Boundary Park a week later and he returned to the same ground, this time in the claret and gold of Huddersfield, for a friendly earlier this year.

“Benji is someone we have been aware of for a while and as he wasn’t getting a run in Huddersfield’s reserves side, he is happy to come and do a job for us here,” said Roughyeds chief executive Chris Hamilton.

Lloyd (19) has signed specifically to help out John Hough’s reserves side and goes straight into the squad for Saturday’s game at Whitehaven.

His acquisition should help fill the gap left by the departure of Anthony Bingham from the club earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Oldham are today expecting to receive the metal splint which it is hoped will allow Thomas Coyle to train and play as normal through to the end of the season.

Captain Robert Roberts goes in for a scan today on his injured knee, which is currently preventing him from running in training. The results should be back by the weekend.

Oldham train tonight and again on Saturday morning, with two evening sessions on Monday and Wednesday before the squad travels to face York City Knights in Co-operative Championship One next Thursday.

CATALAN’S Dragons are already hailing Saturday’s upcoming engage Super League match against Warrington at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona a success after advance ticket sales broke through the 15,000 barrier.