Roughyeds bag Bentley

ROUGHYEDS have added to their squad for next season by sealing a deal for utility forward Valu Bentley.

A France-based New Zealander who has lived across the Channel for 16 years, Bentley (27) has two younger brothers Kane and Andrew, who play for Super League club Catalans Dragons and who starred for Bobbie Goulding’s France side in the recent Gillette Four Nations tournament.

Valu, who is married to a Leigh girl, was 11 years old when the family settled in France but will still be regarded as an overseas quota player for Oldham despite having played all his senior rugby in Europe.

He had a season out last year but before that played for French sides including Villeneuve, Marseilles and the former UTC club and in 2006 made a cameo at Gateshead Thunder.

Announcing the signing, Roughyeds chairman Chris Hamilton described Valu as a larger-than-life character who was now living in Leigh.

“He is keen to be given at opportunity at Oldham,” he said.

“He knows he has a lot of work to do, given that he didn’t play at all last year and is a little bit behind the others, But he is keen to catch up and to work hard and that is exactly what he is doing.”

Bentley is the third new signing announced by the Oldham club so far, following youngsters Danny Whitmore from Salford City Reds and Ben Mellor from Warrington Wolves.

Roughyeds, meanwhile, are holding a cut-price Christmas sale of club merchandise at their offices in Lansdowne Road, Chadderton between 9.30am and 12.30pm on Saturday.

Reduced-price season tickets are also available now from Lansdowne Road.



FIXTURES for next season are now expected early next week, once arrangements regarding the Crusaders club’s likely switch to a home base of Wrexham — plus a new Welsh club, based in Neath, entering Championship One — have been finalised.

FORMER Oldham forward Dana Wilson has signed a deal with Swinton Lions.