Williams lands pro contract

AN impressive 2010 season in the reserves was rewarded when Alistair Williams was handed a one-year contract by Oldham — and promoted to the first-team squad.

Williams (23), a strong-running centre, is among seven Oldhamers now contracted to Roughyeds for the coming season, alongside John Gillam, Scott Mansfield, Danny Whitmore, Chris Clarke, Michael Ward, Ben Marsden and Michael Diveney.

Williams, who lives in Royton, spent three seasons at Warrington Wolves as a contracted academy player after serving an eight-month spell on scholarship at Wigan Warriors.

Before leaving the local amateur game to join Wigan as a 16-year-old he had played for Iestyn Harris's Shaw Tigers and then for the Waterhead club.

When his contract at Warrington expired four years ago he had a short spell on trial with Roughyeds, but nothing materialised and he joined open-age amateur side Hollinwood.

“Things didn’t work out for me when I was last at Oldham,” he recalled, “but I had personal things at home to attend to and those disappointing experiences back then make my signing for Roughyeds now all the sweeter.

“Hollinwood is a good club, but I always felt I could live in the sport at a higher level. I went travelling to Thailand to take stock and to clear my head and I decided that when I got back to the UK I would attempt one last bid to make it as a professional in rugby league.

“I hadn’t been back long when John Hough rang and invited me to play for Roughyeds reserves again last season.”

Williams scored back-to-back hat-tricks against York and Hunslet and began to attract the interest of head coach Tony Benson.

And after more eye-catching performances he was invited to train with the first-team squad for the second half of the season.