Oldham boss cries ‘fowl’ over tackles

ROUGHYEDS coach Tony Benson claims a number of his players suffered injury as a result of ‘chicken wing’ tackles at Workington on Sunday.

The move, in which the non-ball carrying arm of a player is held and twisted behind the back, has attracted plenty of criticism in the last couple of years both on these shores and in Australia.

In last season’s Super League, Leeds forward Jamie Jones-Buchanan was banned for a match after being found guilty of performing such a tackle on St Helens forward James Graham.

Referee Matthew Kidd of Castleford didn’t penalise Workington for the alleged offences during the game, and the injuries sustained by Oldham’s players left Benson with an injury headache during the game.

Hooker Martin Roden hobbled off the field a quarter-way in to the 28-16 victory with an ankle problem and centre Mick Fogerty retired later on due to severe cramp.

“Jason Boults had his arm twisted back and his body the other way and they were doing it a lot, to Ben Heaton too the same thing,” Benson said.

“Matty Ashe was the same. It was the ‘chicken wing’ tackle, as they call it.

“It got all three of them. Ben had to play on as there wasn’t anything else we could do, but Foggy had to come off as there was a danger he would pull his calf.”

One big bonus for the Roughyeds was the return to action of centre Marcus St Hilaire following a back problem.

Providing he suffers no adverse reaction, the 33-year-old’s experience will be useful as the team limbers up for a stiff test at home to Blackpool at the Whitebank Stadium on Sunday.

The Panthers lost for the first time this season away at York City Knights last weekend, Tom Lineham’s late try giving the home side a memorable 24-22 triumph.

Blackpool are now three points behind second-placed Oldham in the Co-operative Championship One table with two games in hand.