Benson targets a repeat show

FAMILIAR FACE . . . Swinton Lions forward Phil Joseph (centre) will line up against his former club on Sunday.

OLDHAM coach Tony Benson wants more of the same from his players in Sunday’s Co-operative Championship One encounter against Swinton Lions at the Whitebank Stadium (3pm).

The Kiwi was delighted with his side’s 68-10 demolition of Gateshead Thunder, a win which kept the Roughyeds in touch with leaders Hunslet.

Benson was anxious how Oldham would react following a three-week break, but his concerns were unfounded in a 12-try super show.

He said: “We produced a good performance against Gateshead. It was quite clinical and I was very happy.”

Swinton lost 58-10 against Hunslet last week, but Benson is expecting a real battle with Paul Kidd’s side, who feature a host of Roughyeds old boys.

He said: “No team seems to be struggling when they play us, they all seem to lift themselves, especially Swinton and Rochdale with the local rivalries.

“I’m expecting good things from them, but I’m expecting the same from my own team.”

Former Oldham favourites Gavin Dodd, Phil Joseph, Ian Watson and Dana Wilson will be determined to get Lions roaring against their old club.

All four have played for Roughyeds with distinction, especially Oldham-born Dodd or ‘Doddy’ as he known to everyone in the local rugby league community.

Before moving on to Widnes Vikings and then to Lions, he made 131 appearances for his home-town club.

Only 11 players have hit the 100-game milestone for the new Oldham club, the most recent being full-back Paul O’Connor, and only four have topped Dodd’s total — Neil Roden (243 and still going strong), John Hough (228), Jason Clegg (147) and Gareth Barber (138).

A glance at the players on the Lions’ register would suggest they are the under-achievers of Championship One this year, notwithstanding the departure to Halifax some weeks ago of stand-off Graham Holroyd.

In Welsh international Watson, who doubles up as assistant coach, they still have a class act in the tactical and creative department, while Roughyeds will need no telling of the threat posed by the powerful Joseph.

It’s been a tough campaign for the Lions, who parted company with coach Paul Smith in mid-season and are now being jointly supervised by former coach Kidd with assistance from Watson.

Of the first four games under their joint command, Lions won three and drew one, but they have been comprehensively beaten in their last two outings against Hunslet and Blackpool.