Ross joins Oldham roster

OLDHAM Roughyeds have added another player to the roster of young professionals, with Ross Coates signing a two-year deal.

The 18-year-old, who comes from the Todmorden area, played mainly at full-back for the reserves after joining up with John Hough’s squad part-way through the season.

It was a new experience for Coates, who had previously played the 15-a-side code for Littleborough RUFC, but he impressed sufficiently for Hough and first-team coach Tony Benson to give him a shot at making the grade professionally.

“He was a newcomer to rugby league, but he took to it like a fish to water,” said Roughyeds chairman Chris Hamilton.

“He has a good physique, he is a strong runner and he is both willing and quick to learn, qualities that will stand him in good stead over the next two years.”

Coates is the fourth young player from last season’s reserves side to sign professional forms, following Michael Ward, who is from Oldham, Austen Barrowclough from Huddersfield and Jacob Kinney from Leigh.

The quartet join second-year professionals Ben Heaton, Chris Clarke, Scott Mansfield and Mark Smith on the club’s production line of young hopefuls, with Heaton and Clarke gaining promotion to the first-team squad for the 2010 campaign.

Frost and snow caused the postponement of the Law Cup game against Rochdale on Sunday and the fixture has been moved to Wednesday evening (7.30pm kick-off).

However, the game remains in doubt with temperatures not forecast to get above freezing all week.