Oldham swoop for Rhinos prop

WITH the start of a vital Co-operative Championship One campaign only five days away, Oldham have signed their first dual-registration youngster.

Prop Matty Syron (20) from Leeds Rhinos, will train with Roughyeds for the first time tonight, having signed to the end of the season.

A Leeds lad who now lives in Huddersfield, Syron is coming to Oldham in order to gain experience of open-age rugby at third-tier level.

Standing 5ft 10in and weighing 15st 10lbs, he joined Rhinos in 2010 from local amateurs Queens and went on to win junior representative honours for England and Great Britain.

Last year Oldham had two other young players from Headingley on loan, Callum Casay and Danny Bravo.

Chairman Chris Hamilton: “If Matty is anything like Casey and Bravo he will do well here.

“As with all youngsters from Leeds, he will come with good habits and a desire to be the best he can possibly be.

“That’s the Leeds way, and we are grateful to Barrie McDermott and Leeds for allowing him to come.”

McDermott, who started his career at Watersheddings and later had 10 years at Leeds as a player, is head of youth development at Rhinos.

Under dual-registration regulations, Leeds can recall Syron at a minute’s notice — and send him back to Oldham just as easily.

That is not allowed to happen in loan deals which require a player to move for at least one month.

Roughyeds have moved to bolster their front-row because Luke Stenchion will be out for several weeks with a broken thumb and new recruit Danny Heaton is no longer training at the club.

Pre-Syron, coach Tony Benson could call on only four recognised props — Jason Boults, Bruce Johnson, Dave Ellison and Liam Gilchrist.

Benson has still to decide whether he will play Syron in Thursday night’s reserve team game against Sheffield Eagles at Whitebank (7.45pm) or consider him for the squad to go to Workington on Sunday in the opening league game.

Workington will be without the suspended Brett Carter and they might also have to play without Elliott Miller, who appears before the RFL disciplinary committee tonight.