Chris claims our award

AFTER cleaning up at the club’s own annual awards dinner, Roughyeds star Chris Baines has also been named as the Chronicle’s player of the season.

The 25-year-old second row forward has been a beacon of consistency in an often turbulent campaign, putting in a series of tremendous stints and even developing into a top-class goal kicker as the season drew to a close.

Baines edged the equally consistent Tommy Goulden into second place, with exciting winger Lucas Onyango third.

1. CHRIS BAINES: It was the fact that the former Warrington academy star raised the overall level of his game this season that was so impressive.

Having only made four of his 26 appearances last year in the starting line-up, some may have imagined Baines would be moving on to pastures new in 2009.

Instead, following a heart-to-heart with Roughyeds chief executive Chris Hamilton at the end of last year, he was handed a new deal and responded superbly, improving on every facet of his game and becoming a firm fans’ favourite - not to mention a coach’s dream - in the process.

Baines also equalled the club’s all-time points in a game record set earlier in the season by Andy Ballard, crossing for four tries and kicking nine goals for a total of 34 in the crushing 54-30 play-off win over Hunslet.

2. TOMMY GOULDEN: Taking over as captain once previous skippers Robert Roberts, James Coyle and the injured Paul Highton were out of the equation, Goulden could hardly have set any better example to his team-mates.

Always willing to take up the ball and equally adept at stopping the opposition in their tracks, the 28-year-old tough former BARLA Great Britain captain responded to the club’s setbacks over the season by simply rolling up his sleeves and getting on with it.

Goulden is also a master at sniffing out tries, scoring 11 in 22 matches, replicating the ratio of his 15 in 30 last season.

3. LUCAS ONYANGO: The Kenyan winger found himself out of favour in the early portion of the season with Andy Ballard and Lee Greenwood occupying the two spots out wide.

But every time he pulled on an Oldham shirt, Onyango never gave less than total commitment and 14 tries in 18 matches show a player far more capable of dealing with adversity than his critics may suggest. A true fans’ favourite, hopefully the 28-year-old will be around again next year to excite the supporters.