Onyango grounded

Flying winger facing lay-off
OLDHAM RL Club have suffered a major injury setback after it emerged winger Lucas Onyango will be sidelined for at least two months with a ruptured Achilles tendon.

The 30-year-old Kenyan, in his fifth season with the Roughyeds, was injured during the pre-match warm-up ahead of the game against Doncaster at the Whitebank Stadium on Sunday.

The concerns of the club’s medical team were confirmed at the Royal Oldham Hospital, where Onyango is still detained while waiting for an operation. He was expected to have it today or tomorrow and to be kept in hospital until weekend.

“We can expect him to be out for a minimum of eight weeks,” said club chairman Chris Hamilton, who visited the player in hospital last night.

“He was down to play against Doncaster in his usual right-wing spot, but he was hurt while going to catch a high ball in the players’ warm-up before the game.”

Coach Tony Benson had to make several last-minute changes to his line-up, but the reshuffled Roughyeds went out and demolished Doncaster 46-24 to record their third home win in a row.

A favourite of the Whitebank crowd, Onyango has scored 69 tries in 97 cup-and-league appearances for the Roughyeds, stretching back to 2007.

He played in each of the club’s 28 games last year, scoring 19 tries, while this season he has scored in each of his last four games, totalling seven in 10 outings.

His ill luck is the latest in a series of setbacks this season involving the club’s wingers.

John Gillam suffered a broken nose and a fractured eye socket against Whitehaven on February 27. He also needed an operation and he was out for nine weeks before he returned to the side on the very day that Onyango dropped out.

New-boy Shaun Robinson made the left-wing spot his own during Gillam’s absence, but he is now ruled out by a thigh muscle problem.

Mark Brocklehurst took Onyango’s place against Doncaster, but he and team-mate Jason Boults face possible suspension when they appear before the RFL disciplinary committee on Thursday.

Brocklehust is charged with making a dangerous throw in Oldham’s defeat at Whitehaven on Easter Monday. The incident was placed on report and later looked at by the RFL’s match review panel.

Boults, sent off in the same game, is charged with using ‘foul and abusive’ language to a match official.

It was the first time Boults had been dismissed in 11 years as a professional, yet he again received his marching orders six days later in his next game against Doncaster.

In that incident he was sent off for retaliation after a high tackle by Dons forward Kyle Kesik, who was also dismissed.

The players will be accompanied to the hearing by Hamilton.

Fans had until 5pm today to book seats (£15) on a coach to the Roughyeds’ fourth-round Challenge Cup tie against Super League club Hull FC at the KC Stadium on Saturday (1pm kick off).

To book, ring the club’s office on (0161) 628 3677. Tickets for the tie are also on sale at the Roughyeds office.