Scorpions can pack a sting

OLDHAM Roughyeds head into their game at new boys South Wales Scorpions with great confidence.

Tony Benson’s side have won their last five matches in all competitions, including four in Co-operative Championship One.

The latter two of those victories were squeezed into four days, with Hornets RL dispatched 22–16 at Spotland before an equally edgy 16-14 scoreline was enough to see off Workington Town at Sedgley Park.

Despite the head of steam that has been built up, nobody in the Oldham camp will take anything for granted ahead of their trip to The Gnoll in Neath on Sunday (2pm kick-off).

The new boys, coached by Queensland-born Anthony Seibold, have won three of their five matches so far.

And while their Welsh National League predecessors Celtic Crusaders attracted plenty of criticism for fielding teams full of Australian players, the same cannot be said about the Scorpions.

Of the 29 players who train with the club, only one — Englishman Loz Wildbore — is not qualified to represent the Wales national team, while 26 are born and bred in the principality.

The Scorpions have also taken advantage of the new dual-registration scheme which allows players signed up at Super League clubs to also play in the Co-operative Championship and Championship One.

Lee Williams, Lewis Mills, Gil Dudson and Lloyd White are all regulars who have been signed up as dual-registered players in a link-up with Super League side Crusaders.

South Wales, who play in a pink-and-black kit, boast the current Championship One player of the month in hooker Steve Parry, who is one of a host of players who has switched codes from rugby union.

In the team of the month are four of Parry’s team-mates — White, Mills, Aled James and Christian Roets.

South Africa-born Roets is a particular success story for this part of the world. Picked for Wales as an amateur for the autumn internationals, the second row forward scored a hat-trick on debut against Serbia and has since been taken on by the Scorpions on a professional basis where he continues to impress.


FIXTURES

Tonight — Engage Super League: Huddersfield v Castleford (8pm, TV).

Saturday — Engage Super League: Catalans v Bradford (6.30pm); Harlequins v St Helens (5.30pm, TV).

The Co-operative Championship: Barrow v Batley (6.30pm); Widnes v Toulouse (6pm).

National Conference League, division two: Ovenden v Waterhead (2.30pm).

North-West Counties League, division four: Higginshaw v Bamber Bridge (2.30pm).

Sunday (3pm unless stated) — Engage Super League: Hull KR v Warrington; Leeds v Hull FC; Salford v Wigan; Wakefield v Crusaders (3.30pm).

The Co-operative Championship: Dewsbury v Whitehaven; Sheffield v Featherstone.

The Co-operative Championship One: Gateshead v Doncaster; Hunslet v Swinton; Hornets RL v London Skolars; SOUTH WALES v OLDHAM (2pm); Workington v Blackpool.