Greenwood admits Keighley focus was missing

LEE Greenwood has said there was one thing above all else on the Roughyeds players’ minds at the weekend — getting out of Blackpool as quickly as possible.

Both before and after the 18-team tournament a variety of opinions, pro and anti, have been aired about the worth of the Northern Rail Nines tournament.

The opinions of the Roughyeds winger, part of the squad which was easily knocked out of the competition at Fylde RUFC by Rochdale, are aligned with those of Batley coach Karl Harrison.

“That stupid competition that nobody is bothered about” was how the typically forthright former Salford boss reportedly described the exercise last week.

And, bearing in mind the important matches still to come in the 13-a-side code — not least this Sunday against promotion rivals Keighley — Greenwood wouldn’t disagree too strongly.

“From a player’s point of view, it just wasn’t important for us,” said the 28-year-old former Leigh and Halifax flyer.

“Our priority is Keighley and that game, for us, is 1,000 times more important than the Nines matches at the weekend.

“That was the feeling among other teams as well. So many sides have got important issues left to play for — play-offs, promotion, relegation — and while some teams in Blackpool were getting paid to be there, others weren’t.

“Overall, it just wasn’t a competition the players were interested in.”

Oldham’s record in the Nines was poor, with only one win picked up from four games played.

The last of those fixtures was a 26-8 loss to Rochdale in the quarter-finals of the Plate competition on Sunday, the manner of which left the watching fans, coaching staff and chief executive Chris Hamilton fuming.

While he understands the frustrations, Greenwood believes that all will be forgotten should the Roughyeds pick up where they left off in Co-operative Championship One.

“Against Rochdale it wasn’t the best, that is for sure. But by that point interest had dwindled.

“It is a shame for those people who had paid to come and watch us. Rochdale were a big side yet we had no props and I had to put in more tackles down the middle of the field than I ever have in my life before.

“I’m not sure it has been mentioned, but they had also brought into their side fresh players who hadn’t played on the Saturday.

“The fact that we lost to Rochdale, rather than say Gateshead, magnifies it more.

“The effort wasn’t 100-per-cent there, but hopefully it will be forgotten by the time we have played out our much bigger game at the end of this week. It is up to us now.

“It is looking like we are fighting for second place now with York and Keighley and we have the advantage of facing them both at home.

“We were poor up the slope after making a bright start over at Keighley, while at York we were awful yet still lost by only two points and would have won, but for Tommy Goulden’s try being ruled out.

“There are scores to settle.

“The lads have plenty of personal pride to play for as well as contracts, so we are geared up to finishing the season strongly.”