Noone on high

Forward scoops coach’s award
PAUL Noone, who played in each of Oldham’s 27 competitive games last season, was coach Tony Benson’s choice as Roughyeds’ 2011 player of the year.

The former Warrington Wolves forward received his trophy, as well as commendations from both Benson and club chairman Chris Hamilton, at a sell-out presentation dinner at the Whitebank Social Club.

Benson said the award, sponsored by Doughty’s Gym of Shaw, was reward not only for the player’s consistency of performance all season, but for the example he had set to younger players in training, in the dressing room and on and off the field.

“He made a huge impact,” said the Roughyeds coach. “A lot of players performed well all year, but this award is about more than that and when you look at the bigger picture there was only one winner.”

Mr Hamilton added: “We’ve had players coming here from similar backgrounds in the past who have failed to live up to expectations, but Paul’s influence on the team this year has been massive.

“He has been on the field for 80 minutes in nearly every game, but on the few occasions he has been ‘spelled’ he has used his time on the bench to encourage, cajole and fire-up his team mates.

“That’s the mark of a top player and a thoroughly deserving recipient of the coach’s player-of-the-year award.”

Noone (30), the only ever-present in his first year at Oldham, referred to Ben Heaton's departure to join Championship side Halifax and said there were several other young players at the club who were good enough to be playing at a higher level.

“That’s a tribute to the great work Roughyeds are doing here,” he said.

“I feel sure that, with the players who have signed already and others who have still to sign, we will be strong enough to go all the way next year and move up to the Championship ourselves.”

Full-back Heaton (21) bid farewell to Roughyeds while clutching two trophies — the supporters' player-of-the-year award sponsored by Oldham Roughyeds Supporters’ Association and presented by its chairman Nigel Marland and the players’ player-of-the-year award, backed by OHM Electrical Services and presented by assistant coach Martin Roden.

An emotional Heaton said other players were more deserving of the awards and added: “I’m not leaving because I want to go; it’s a case of having to move on if I am going to fulfil my ambition of playing in Super League one day. The gap is widening all the time.

“I’ll never forget Oldham though, because I started off here as a rookie. I owe a big thank you to everyone, especially to the coaches Tony and Martin.”

Club photographer Dave Murgatroyd won the clubman-of-the-year trophy, while Valu Bentley, on behalf of players and coaches, made a special award to kit man Paul Hulbert and his wife Bev.