Centurions first up for Roughyeds

ROUGHYEDS will travel to Leigh Centurions on the opening day of the 2010 season, having been handed a difficult set of Northern Rail Cup fixtures.

The game, to be played on Sunday, January 31, represents the first time Roughyeds coach Tony Benson has come up against his former employers in a competitive match since arriving at Oldham last year, while it is also new Leigh coach Ian Millward’s debut game in charge following his return to the club from Australia.

The twin-pool format of the competition is the same as it was last season and the only difference fixture-wise is that the trip to the Leigh Sports Village Stadium replaces that to Widnes in 2009, where Benson got his tenure off to a superb start with a 22-20 victory over the side who went on to lift the trophy.

Oldham follow up the Leigh game with a home derby against Hornets RL and an away clash at big-spending Hunslet Hawks before paying host to Championship side Sheffield Eagles.

Stand-out fixtures for Roughyeds in an 11-team Championship One are the trip to face new club South Wales RLFC on Sunday, April 11, the double-header against Hornets RL (away) on Good Friday and Workington (home) on Easter Monday and a Saturday away-day at heavily-fancied Blackpool on July 24.

The league season opens with a difficult trip to Swinton on Sunday, February 28, ending with the journey south to play London Skolars on the evening of Friday, August 27 — five days after the other sides in the division have completed their fixtures and on the eve of the Carnegie Challenge Cup final at Wembley.

There will be a reprise of last term’s inaugural Northern Rail Nines competition at some stage in the summer, though the date and venue has yet to be confirmed.



CRAIG Lawton, who moved from financially stricken Doncaster to lend a useful hand to Oldham at the end of last season, has returned to the South Yorkshire club.




fixtures 2010



(all kick-offs 3pm unless stated)


January

Northern Rail Cup

31 Leigh Centurions



February

7 ROCHDALE HORNETS

14 Hunslet Hawks

21 SHEFFIELD EAGLES



Co-operative Championship One

28 Swinton Lions



March

7 Challenge Cup RD3

14 HUNSLET HAWKS

21 BLACKPOOL PANTHERS



April

2 Rochdale Hornets

5 WORKINGTON TOWN

11 South Wales RLFC (2pm)

18 Challenge Cup RD4

25 GATESHEAD THUNDER



May

3 Doncaster RLFC

9 YORK CITY KNIGHTS

16 LONDON SKOLARS

23 Hunslet Hawks

30 Workington Town



June

13 DONCASTER RLFC



July

4 Gateshead Thunder

11 SWINTON LIONS

24 Blackpool Panthers



August

1 SOUTH WALES RLFC

8 York City Knights

15 ROCHDALE HORNETS

27 London Skolars (6.30pm)



Key:

CAPS=home matches.