New boys boost OIdham

OLDHAM have swooped to hand chances to two former Wigan starlets in centre Mike Priest and second row Luke Rhoden.

The pair, aged 20 and 19 respectively, were put in touch with the club through former Warriors academy man and Roughyeds hooker Gary Sykes and have signed to the end of the year with a view to extended deals.

The two former academy internationals had fallen out of love with the game this year after choosing not to take up contract offers at the Super League club, where they had felt that first-team opportunities were limited.

“Hopefully the move will serve to fire up their enthusiasm in the game again and they did a good job on their first run-out,” said Oldham chief executive Chris Hamilton, after Priest scored a brace on debut for the reserves, who lost 32-30 at home to Widnes on Saturday.

“They have definitely got some quality about them and now it is just a case of how quickly they can get up to full match fitness.”

Both are likely to appear in the reserves’ next match at home to Keighley on Wednesday night at Sedgley Park (7.30pm kick off) and may come into coach Tony Benson’s first team plans between now and the season’s end.

More pressing for Benson is the televised Co-operative Championship One home match with London Skolars at Boundary Park on Thursday (7.30pm), which is free for fans to get in — though everyone will have to pay at least £1 in charity donation to exit the ground.

The manner of the 48-28 win over Hornets RL yesterday will have raised fans’ spirits ahead of a season which has four more games left in it.

Mr Hamilton is hopeful of a good turn-out, saying: “We need to get as many people as possible down to Boundary Park.

“Nobody could complain about value for money or the enthusiasm we showed in the local derby and we will hopefully replicate that on Thursday night.”

Injury-wise, the only casualties from the Hornets game were Richard Mervill (bicep) and Matty Ashe (shoulder), though neither is thought to be serious.

Marcus St Hilaire (Achilles and calf) and Gary Sykes (back) pulled out of the match late on, leading to a recall from loan at Swinton of Craig Littler and a second appearance of the year for conditioner Martin Roden.