THE CONTENDERS

LUCAS Onyango: bookies’ joint favourite to finish Championship One's top scorer. Matthew Chambers

Chronicle Sport’s guide to Oldham’s rivals this season

HUNSLET: Have recruited an enormous squad and the task for player-coach David March — a key figure on as well as off the field for the Hawks — is to forge together a cohesive team. It could take some time.

Prospects: Won’t find promotion as simple as task as some have predicted.

YORK: Beaten in last year’s play-offs by Oldham, the Knights have lost a host of players to Hunslet but should still be a force to be reckoned with. Chris Thorman will have a lot on his plate coaching and directing the team from scrum-half.

Prospects: Should finish in the top three.


ROUGHYEDS: The focus on bringing in local talent is a strategy that already appears to carry promise and one of coach Tony Benson’s main tasks will be keeping players fit in a very tight squad, numbers-wise.

Prospects: Challenging again near the top of the table.



BLACKPOOL: Martin Crompton has already proven himself an able coach at this level and has spent the off-season bringing together an impressive mix of experience and youth. Look out for former Huddersfield Giants prospect Tom Hemingway, who should be dynamite for the Panthers.

Prospects: Have a very decent chance of landing top spot.



SOUTH WALES: With a squad made up from a talented bunch of Welsh under-18s and duel registrations from Crusaders, the newest club in the competition could surprise a few this year and will improve as the season goes on.

Prospects: A top-five finish is achievable.



SWINTON: The Lions have recruited well and there is plenty of know-how in the shape of the likes of Ian Watson, Phil Joseph and Aaron Smith. But they were severely disappointing against Oldham recently and the large number of coaching voices on the sidelines may not be helping the team’s focus.

Prospects: Will end the season in a decent play-off spot.



WORKINGTON: Have brought in plenty of players from Barrow, including talented stand-off Liam Finch. Will expect to go much better than in the past two seasons and are likely to be tough to beat at home.

Prospects: A mid-table finish is achievable.



HORNETS RL: Brought in a forward-thinking coach in John Stankevitch, but it remains to be seen how well a new-look squad will gel together. There is plenty of talent at the club in the shape of prop Michael Ostick and hooker Phil Wood.

Prospects: Lower end of the play-offs.



DONCASTER: On a real low after being ‘nilled’ at home by amateurs Siddal in the Challenge Cup, Doncaster inexperienced side will struggle to match their play-off heroics of two years ago.

Prospects: A season of rebuilding for the South Yorkshire side.



GATESHEAD: Last season’s squad has all-but disappeared after the relegation which was prompted by off-field financial troubles. A season of rebuilding lies ahead for Thunder.

Prospects: In the bottom three.



LONDON SKOLARS: The perennial strugglers at least have the benefit of a dual registration link-up with Harlequins to boost their squad this time around, but it is hard to see them getting out of the bottom two.

Prospects: Will put up a battle with Doncaster and Gateshead for the wooden spoon.



TITLE ODDS (from Skybet): Hunslet Hawks 6-5, York 7-2, OLDHAM 6-1, Blackpool 6-1, South Wales 10-1, Swinton 12-1, Workington 25-1, Hornets RL 33-1, Doncaster 66-1, Gateshead 100-1, London Skolars 150–1.




LUCAS Onyango is the bookies’ joint favourite to finish as top try scorer in Championship One.

The Kenyan winger already has six tries in five games in all competitions so far this season.

ODDS (from Skybet): Lucas Onyango (OLDHAM), Lee Waterman (York) 8-1; Bolu Fagborun (Hornets RL), Stuart Kain (Hunslet), Michael Mark (Hunslet), Wayne McHugh (Hunslet), Danny Ratcliffe (York) 10-1; Dave Hull (Swinton), Lee Williams (South Wales) 12-1.

Other Oldham players: Marcus St Hilaire 14-1, Paul O’Connor 25-1, John Gillam 40-1, Craig Littler 40-1, Mick Fogerty 50-1.