Oldham skipper on the mend

NEIL Roden can see light at the end of the tunnel in his bid to regain full fitness.

It’s five weeks and four games since the 31-year-old Oldham RL captain suffered a four-inch muscle tear in the match at Rochdale.

A scan also revealed an unrelated knee injury.

“He is making steady progress and that is extremely encouraging,” said coach Tony Benson.

Meanwhile, there are fears in the Roughyeds camp that unlucky prop Luke Stenchion might be out for two to three months as a result of the bizarre incident in which he bust a hand in last Sunday’s pre-match warm-up.

Benson said: “He was unbelievably unlucky. He had worked so hard to get back on the substitutes’ bench that he was determined to play. He did remarkably well in the circumstances.”

Stenchion had an operation on Tuesday when two surgical pins were inserted in the hand.

Roughyeds’ reserves entertain Keighley Cougars at Whitebank tonight (7.45pm) with a similar side to that beaten by Halifax, also at home, last week.

The full version of this story can only be read in our print and eChron editions

Follow us on Twitter - @OldhamChronicle