Ellison has big part to play

BIG prop David Ellison, fully fit now after a serious elbow dislocation which ended his 2011 season last July, will be back with Oldham RL Club next year.

The 29-year-old former Wigan, Swinton and London Skolars player has signed a new one-year deal with Roughyeds to cover his third season with the club.

He was a 28-game ever-present in 2010 and he had figured in 17 out of 20 competitive games last season before he was injured in the 40-20 win against Whitehaven at Whitebank on July 3.

One of the club’s many injury victims, he missed the last six league games and the play-off defeat at Rochdale, joining a long-term casualty list which had already claimed Mick Fogerty, Lucas Onyango, Chris Clarke and Bruce Johnson.

The loss of front-row forwards Ellison, Clarke and Johnson, to be followed in August by the departure of another, the emigrating Luke Sutton, was a massive setback yet Roughyeds still went into the play-offs on the back of seven wins out of nine.

“We missed Elly (Ellison) badly over the last two months of the season,” said coach Tony Benson. “It would have made a big difference had he been around.

“He suffered a horrific injury, but he’s in good shape again and I’m delighted he has re-signed. He adds a lot to the pack, particularly to the front-row.

“He’s a big boy with speed and a sidestep of which a centre would be proud. Furthermore, he’s passionate about playing for Oldham.”

Roughyeds will have no shortage of props next time round, with old heads in Ellison (29), Jason Boults (28) and new signing Danny Heaton (30), backed up by young guns in Clarke (22), Liam Gilchrist (22) and Danny Langtree (20).

Ellison, regional operations manager for a national chain of coffee shops, has been training regularly for the past month in Martin Roden’s gym in Wigan.

“My arm and elbow are as strong now as they were before the injury,” he said. “I’ll be ready to go flat out in pre-season training when it starts soon.

“Last season ended early for me. I seem to have been out for ages and I can’t wait to get cracking again. It was totally frustrating to be sidelined for so long, particularly towards the end when so much was at stake.

“The Whitehaven game in which I was injured gave us our third win in a row, but I didn’t contribute much because I was hurt on my first touch of the ball after coming off the bench.

“All I think about now, though, is 2012. The signs are very promising and very positive. We are putting a good squad together with a nice blend of youth and experience, and with a few young chaps itching to be given their chance.

“If we get a better start than last season I think we’ll do very well indeed.”




Fan meeting at Spring Vale



THE NEXT meeting of Oldham Roughyeds Supporters' Association (ORSA) will be held at the Spring Vale, Burnley Street, Chadderton on Thursday, November 10 (8pm) because Whitebank, the usual venue, will be closed that night due to holidays.



Among items on the agenda will be ground developments at Whitebank and an update on the children's Christmas party which will be held at Whitebank on Sunday, December 11, 3pm to 6pm.

There will be a charge of £3 per child and all children must be accompanied by an adult.

You can now follow ORSA on Twitter and Facebook or visit the association's new website at www.oldhamroughyedssupportersassoc.co.uk